Name: applications for open source microplate-compatible illumination panels
Uploaded: 2019-10-03T14:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Applications for Open Source Microplate-Compatible Illumination Panels at JoVE.com

The authors would like to acknowledge Lina DeLuca, Fakhar Singhera, Hannah Williams, Lynn Deng, Osinachi Nwosu and Sarah Wachtman for their assistance in testing the M.A.P.L.E. platform.

1. Semiautomated &#34;plate to plate&#34; sample transfer preparation
<ol>
	<li>Generate a CSV file as shown in Figure 1 containing source and destination plates using a spreadsheet editing application. The CSV file that is generated must have the following header columns in the order listed: Source_barcode; Destination_barcode; Source_well; Dest_well; Transfer_volume. &#160;&#160;</li>
	<li>Under the header columns, make sure to include one row in the CSV file for each desired pipetting o...

<ol>
	<li>Baillargeon, P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Design+of+Microplate-Compatible+Illumination+Panels+for+a+Semiautomated+Benchtop+Pipetting+System.">Design of Microplate-Compatible Illumination Panels for a Semiautomated Benchtop Pipetting System.</a> SLAS TECHNOLOGY: Translating Life Sciences Innovation. , (2019).</li><li>Baillargeon, P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Scripps+Molecular+Screening+Center+and+Translational+Research+Institute.">The Scripps Molecular Screening Center and Translational Research Institute.</a> SLAS DISCOVERY: Advancing Life Sciences R&amp;D. 24 (3), 386-397 (2019).</li><li>. Pipetting Aid PlatR Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://biosistemika.com/products/pipetting-platr/">https://biosistemika.com/products/pipetting-platr/</a> (2019)</li><li>Gilson Trackman Pipetting Tracker. Daigger Scientific Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.daigger.com/gilson-trackma-pipetting-tracker-i-gsnf70301">https://www.daigger.com/gilson-trackma-pipetting-tracker-i-gsnf70301</a> (2019)</li><li>TRACKMAN Connected US. Gilson Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gilson.com/default/systemm-trackman-connected-us.html">https://www.gilson.com/default/systemm-trackman-connected-us.html</a> (2019)</li><li>96 well plate pipette light guide. qit vision Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.qitvision.com/projects/#Plate">https://www.qitvision.com/projects/#Plate</a> (2019)</li><li>. Microplate Assistive Pipetting Light Emitter GitHub repository Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/pierrebaillargeon/Microplate-Assistive-Pipetting-Light-Emitter">https://github.com/pierrebaillargeon/Microplate-Assistive-Pipetting-Light-Emitter</a> (2019)</li><li>Hawker, C. D., Schlank, M. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Development+of+Standards+for+Laboratory+Automation.">Development of Standards for Laboratory Automation.</a> Clinical Chemistry. 46, 746-750 (2000).</li><li>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=General+Laboratory+Techniques.+An+Introduction+to+the+Micropipettor.">General Laboratory Techniques. An Introduction to the Micropipettor.</a> JoVE Science Education Database. , (2019).</li><li>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=General+Laboratory+Techniques.+Introduction+to+the+Spectrophotometer.">General Laboratory Techniques. Introduction to the Spectrophotometer.</a> JoVE Science Education Database. , (2019).</li><li>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=General+Laboratory+Techniques.+Introduction+to+the+Microplate+Reader.">General Laboratory Techniques. Introduction to the Microplate Reader.</a> JoVE Science Education Database. , (2019).</li></ol>

By releasing M.A.P.L.E. as an open-source platform, we have introduced a laboratory tool that provides utility, but can also be easily extended to meet the evolving needs of the end user. Benchtop microplate sample preparation is a common task that is performed in a wide variety of laboratory environments and this task can be demonstrably improved with a technology such as M.A.P.L.E.
The M.A.P.L.E. platform has been specifically engineered with adaptability to future applications in mind. Each...

As recently published1, the Lead Identification laboratory at Scripps Research2 has developed and released an open-source illumination panel for microplate preparation referred to as the Microplate Assistive Pipetting Light Emitter (M.A.P.L.E.). Manual preparation of microplates, whether they are made for compound management or bio-assay needs, can be prone to human errors that drastically increase as well density of the microplate increases. In addition, proper recordkeeping and data-logging of microplate content/format is also prone to manual entry errors. In high throughput screening (HTS) automation facilities these issues are mitigated through the use of computer-driven robotic workstations that are integrated with automated database recordkeeping; minimizing manual manipulations and reducing the potential of formatting and data recording errors. However, there remain many instances where automation-based instrumentation is simply not feasible or compatible with microplate formatting needs, requiring manual intervention. Moreover, there is also a need to support small-scale laboratory operations that require compact and cost-effective semi-automated devices to improve their throughput, accuracy and automate data-recordkeeping of microplate preparation.&#160;&#160; &#160;
While other microplate illumination systems exist, they are proprietary commercial solutions3,4,5,6,7 limited to select microplate formats and their proprietary closed-source nature prevents user-driven modifications that would allow the adaptation these devices for specialized operations. &#160;M.A.P.L.E. was designed to be an inexpensive open-source device, with source code and all design files available for free online8. Users with knowledge of surface mount soldering techniques can assemble their own M.A.P.L.E. devices with the code and design files available on GitHub, or they can modify the provided printed circuit boards (PCBs) designs, 3D print enclosure computer-aided design (CAD) models and code to meet their specific needs. A full list of parts needed to fabricate the light guide PCBs can be found in Supplementary Tables 1 and 2 and further details regarding the design and implementation of the light panels can be found in recently published documentation1. Users who wish to purchase pre-assembled light guide PCBs based off the open-source files can find them listed online9.
M.A.P.L.E. provides the user with an easily controllable illumination panel which has a microplate-based footprint and LED-to-LED spacing matched to Society for Biomolecular Screening (SBS) specifications for microplates10. M.A.P.L.E. was developed to support 96- and 384-well density microplates and allow users to illuminate wells in any desired configuration, color and intensity. These light panels can be used to illuminate microplates for pipetting operations11, to simulate laboratory formatting operations or instruments such as a microplate reader12,13 for educational and demonstration purposes. The open source nature of the project allows users to easily modify the panels, firmware or graphical user interface (GUI) software to support any new desired functionality. Guidance and data recordkeeping are computer-driven and can be integrated with spreadsheets or ported to a database system. Because M.A.P.L.E. is designed to work with plaintext comma delimited files, any spreadsheet or database software that is able to import or export CSV formatted files can be easily extended to work with M.A.P.L.E. Further, the project enclosure which has been designed for this system tilts the microplate towards the user during pipetting operations, increasing ergonomics by providing a more natural posture for the user while at the lab bench. Specific operational features to the M.A.P.L.E. system include: (i) Facilitating compound management efforts in preparing customized plates by illuminating single source well and destination well across microplates for manual pipetting guidance; assisted through a computer script that can be saved as an electronic record post completion. (ii) M.A.P.L.E. can illuminate any number of wells across microplate rows or columns; which is ideally suited for rapid serial dilution guidance or placement of select replicate controls. (iii) M.A.P.L.E. can be used in a demonstration mode to facilitate laboratory training needs or highlight formatting requirements with respect to sample and control placements or dedicated well usage (e.g., edge-effect barrier gap). (iv) M.A.P.L.E. can backlight transparent/translucent wells to allow visualization of artifacts such as precipitation/crystallization, bubbles, well heterogeneity, empty wells; which also allows end-user to easily photograph plate images for documentation needs

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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">96 or 384 well microplate</td>
			<td style="width:121px;"></td>
			<td style="width:161px;"></td>
			<td style="width:167px;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microplate</td>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Microplate Assistive Pipetting Light Emitter</td>
			<td style="width:121px;">Open source</td>
			<td style="width:161px;"></td>
			<td>https://github.com/pierrebaillargeon/Microplate-Assistive-Pipetting-Light-Emitter</td>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Pipettor</td>
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			<td style="width:161px;"></td>
			<td>https://www.jove.com/science-education/5033/an-introduction-to-the-micropipettor</td>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Spectrometer</td>
			<td>Ocean Optics</td>
			<td style="width:161px;">USB-650 Red Tide</td>
			<td></td>
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applications for open source microplate-compatible illumination panels

Microplates are commonly used in the modern laboratory environment for a wide variety of tasks both in small-scale laboratory benchtop operations as well as large-scale high-throughput screening (HTS) campaigns. Though laboratory automation has greatly increased the utility of microplates there remain instances where automation-based instrumentation is not feasible, cost-effective or compatible with microplate formatting needs. In these cases, microplates must be manually prepared. Problematic to manual microplate manipulations is that a number of difficulties can arise pertaining to the accurate tracking of sample operations, data record keeping and quality control (QC) inspection for well artifacts or formatting errors. As microplate well densities increase (i.e., 96-well, 384-well, 1536-well) the potential for introducing errors also drastically increases.&#160; Moreover, for small bench-top laboratory operations there exists a need to improve the ease and accuracy of sample handling in a cost-effective fashion. Herein, we describe a system that acts as a semi-automated pipetting guide referred to as the Microplate Assistive Pipetting Light Emitter (M.A.P.L.E.). &#160;M.A.P.L.E. has multiple uses for supporting compound hit-picking and microplate preparation for assay development in high-throughput screening or laboratory benchtop operations, as well as QC/quality assurance (QA) diagnostic evaluation of microplate quality or visualizing well formatting errors.

The M.A.P.L.E. platform is capable of illuminating wells in 96- and 384-well microplates in a variety of user configurable ways, allowing straightforward and independent control of color and light intensity in each well. By helping to reduce opportunities for error in manual pipetting operations, M.A.P.L.E. helps users prepare microplates with increased confidence that each well contains the desired contents. The transfer of samples between plates and the preparation of serial dilution plates, such as the examples seen i...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Applications for Open Source Microplate-Compatible Illumination Panels at JoVE.com

Applications for Open Source Microplate-Compatible Illumination Panels

Microplate Assistive Pipetting Light Emitter (M.A.P.L.E.) is a computer-driven device that systematically illuminates microtiter wells to provide guidance for the manual preparation of microplates.&#160; M.A.P.L.E. improves the accuracy of microplate preparation while automating data recordkeeping. &#160;In addition, it can assist with examining microplate quality or aid in the detection of errors.&#160; &#160;

Microplates are commonly used in the modern laboratory environment for a wide variety of tasks both in small-scale laboratory benchtop operations as well ...

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