Dear biomek users all over the world !!
I'm a german student writing my diploma thesis about the Biomek
2000 in a department of the DKFZ Heidelberg, which is the called
Resource Centre of the German Human Genome Project. We use this robot
for the basic molecular-biological methods done routinely in large
scale in the lab like PCR for vector-insert-size determination,
sequencing reactions, DNA digests and so on. Most of the projects are
realised meanwhile (see informations below) and I want to write down
the results. As an introduction I want to give the reader a short
overview about the usage possibilities of the Biomek-system or other
lab robots existing all around the world. To get these informations I
decided to try this e-mail opinion poll. If you wish I can of course
mail you back the results/adresses you are interested in. Moreover you
can ignore all the questions you don't want to answer or you can
define publishing restrictions. These are the questions I would be
very happy for you to answer.
1) name and adress of your lab/company/department.
2) main research targets and working fields
3) type of the used lab robots and their usage
4) experiences with an enlargement of the biomek 2000-system by
introducing non-Beckman- or Beckman-devices
5) problems apeared during every day use
6) possible improvements of the system
7) degree of satisfaction
Now following the promised descriptions of our
Biomek-tuning-projekts. We integrated an agarose-gel-system by using
Bioscript. Therefor we used a gelbox called "The Centipede" (Owl
Scientific Inc.) and a self designed mobile tray connected with the
workstations surface plate.We are now possible to run 96 samples + 4
marker lanes for insert checking or 192 samples + 8 marker lanes for
PCR-checking. The gelrun can be started by pressing a switch with the
Sideloader. Furthermore we constructed and installed a cooling-system
consisting of a cooling plate and different metalblocks for 1.5ml
Eppendorf-tubes and PCR-Microtiterplates. It covers 2 positions e.g.
A3 and B3 and is completely integrated into the BioWorks-System so
comfortable usage is possible on every place of the workstations
surface just depending on the length of the tubing for the cooling
water. We also managed to integrate a MJ-Research PCR-machine with a
self-closing lid into a Sideloader stack area by manufacturing a
special holder.
With these extensions it is possible to run a comlete
pcr-insert-checking-reaction starting with pipetting the reaction on
the cooling-system, transporting the plate into the thermalcycler,
running the PCR-programm, taking out the plate and finally loading the
samples on the gel and starting the gel run. The best pcr-plates for
this purpose are the TubePlates from Biozym Diagnostik GmbH Oldendorf
(Germany). This product is based on the 96-well-format with
individually movable tubes so it can adapt itself to the different
racks and plateholder and easy takeout is possible. If you would like
more information we would be happy to answer your questions.
Thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely yours
Matthias Schick
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Matthias Schick
DKFZ Heidelberg
Abt. Molekulare Genomanalyse
-RZPD-
Im Neuenheimer Feld 506
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
Fax: 06221/42-4704
Tel.:06221/42-4703 or -4701 or -4700
e-Mail: m.schick at dkfz-heidelberg.de
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