Automation increases productivity and efficiency
The use of automation solutions in liquid handling offers manufacturers and research institutes a wide range of benefits. A dispensing system can fill the cavities of large microwell plates precisely and in the shortest possible time. This takes the burden of performing repetitive tasks off of specialists and frees up time for tasks that add value, such as analyzing results or developing new test procedures. In contrast to manual pipetting workflows, the processes are completely standardized. The potential for error is reduced as each step is carried out with a standardized approach. The closed system creates a clean environment, minimizing external disturbances to the cell cultures.
Gentle handling of cells is a must
All of these factors argue in favor of a high degree of automation for handling cells and tissues – from high throughput screenings to individual gene therapy analyses and cell culture processes. It is crucial for the process to affect cell viability as little as possible. Cells vary in size and shape and their concentration in solutions can be different. In other words, in automated liquid handling it is it is important for parameters such as pressure and opening times to be set and reproduced precisely. This makes it possible to control and minimize the loads acting on the cells, such as shear forces and pressure differences.
Festo LifeTech offers a wide range of components for a modular and flexible dispensing system based on compressed air. This allows liquids, and cell suspensions in particular, to be precisely dispensed in a gentle process. Since cells are living organisms that are very strongly influenced by external conditions, the pressure used can be specifically adapted to the cell line and cell concentration.
Practical tests on the viability of cells
In collaboration with Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, Festo has tested the affect of dispensing with Festo's pressure-controlled dispensing system on cell viability – in comparison to pipetting with a manual pipette. The tests with a selected cell line have shown that the average viability of the cells was similar to that of the manually pipetted samples. This makes the Festo dispensing system a very good starting point for gentle and precise handling of cell cultures – with all the advantages of automation. The modular design and adjustability of the parameters make it possible to adapt the system to different cell lines and cell concentrations.
About the author
Paula Marin Canibano
Application Engineering LifeTech
Festo SE & Co. KG
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