protein crystallisation solutions at Innovadyne Technologies

Innovadyne’s protein crystallography dispensing instruments deliver high-throughput protein crystallisation screens and protein addition, for both sitting drop and hanging drop. The cost of producing purified protein for high-throughput crystallization screening is expensive, so the use of robots that can dispense the protein without much waste and without denaturation is crucial. The low volume, non-contact dispensing and fast cycle time requirements of high-throughput protein crystallography are an excellent fit for Innovadyne’s technology.

The Screenmaker 96+8 and Platemaker are top-of-the-line, fully automated platforms for protein crystallography experiments. They are the fastest platforms on the market for crystallization screen performance -- <45 seconds. Either can replace 3 liquid handling stations in one multi-faceted application -- screen creation, screen set up and screen performance. The Screenmaker and Platemaker platforms are also capable of preparing of fine and coarse mother liquor screens/grids. The Nanodrop is a medium priced, semi-automated benchtop platform for performing crystallography screens and protein addition. This system can aliquot as many as 4 different proteins or protein concentrations to any well on a crystal plate, and transfer the buffers from a deep well block to crystal plates.

In the application note "Combinatorial Screening for Protein Crystallization," developed in conjunction with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the LLNL scientists used a Screenmaker 96+8 in conjunction with a custom software system to automate stochastic combinatorial screening, The Screenmaker's performance parameters were optimized and validated for various liquid classes and dispense volumes.

Screenmaker/Platemaker Features

High-end, fully automated turn-key system for protein crystallography experiments
Fastest platform on the market for crystallization screen performance-<45 s
Can replace 3 liquid handling stations in one multi-faceted application -- screen creation, screen set up and screen performance
"8 up" crystallography application

Nanodrop Features

<10 minute screens
Reagent "cocktail" additions with 8 tips
Protein dispense in single or multiple tips
Includes environmental control to minimize evaporation
Configurations for high pressure enabling the dispensing of highly viscous materials

Platforms

Item	Description	Plate Positions	8-Tip Head	16-Tip Head	96-Tip Head	Syringe Channels	1,4, or 8-Tip Additions to all Wells
10591	Nanodrop ExtY stage and fluidics	1	Yes	-	-	8	Yes
11638	Nanodrop II stage and fluidics	2	Yes	-	-	8	Yes
12056	Nanodrop Express stage/fluidics	1 or 2	-	Yes	-	16	Yes
11164	Screenmaker 96+8 Xtal	5	Yes	-	Yes	16	Yes
12027	Platemaker HTS	5	Yes	-	Yes	104	Yes

Software

Item	Description
11727	Nanobuilder
10591	Nanodrop GUI (for Nanodrop only)

Accessories

Item	Description
11978-1	Innovaplate SD-2, Package of 100
11193	Reagent refill system (Nanodrop only)
	Eppendorf tube chiller (all platforms)
	Environmental chamber (Nanodrop)

Specifications

Return-To-Spot Accuracy	0.1 mm
Aspiration Range, 8-Tip Head	0.1-500µL
Dispensing Range (8-Tip Non-Contact)	0.1-40µL
Dispensing Range (96-Tip)	Screenmaker: 0.1-125µL Platemaker: 0.1-80µL
Dispensing Precision, 8-Tip Head	CV<10% at 100nL, CV<7% at 200nL, CV<5% at 1µL
Dispensing Precision, 96-Tip Head	CV<15% at 100nL, CV<10% at 200nL, CV<5% at 1µL
Dispensing Accuracy, 8-Tip Head	±10% at 100nL, ±7% at 200nL, ±5% at >1 µL
Dispensing Accuracy, 96-Tip Head	Screenmaker: ±10% at 100-500nL, ±5% at >1 500nL Platemaker: ±10% at 100nL, ±7% at 200nL, ±5% at >1 µL
Dead Volume, 8-Tip head	1.5µL/channel at 1µL across 384-well plate
Dead Volume, 96-Tip head	<1µL/channel
Syringe Capacity	500, 1000µL

Competitive Comparison

How does Innovadyne Technologies, Inc.’s Screenmaker 96+8™ stack up against the competition in the Protein Crystallography field? See the table below and judge for yourself.

	Innovadyne Screenmaker 96+8	96+1 Contact Xtal Dispensers	96+1 Non-Contact Dispensers	Disposable Tip Xtal Dispensers
Non-contact and contact dispensing (all tips)	yes	no	no	no
96 tip non-contact dispense of both mother liquors and protein	yes	no	no	no
Non-contact dispense of protein<	yes	yes	yes	no
Up to 8 independent non-contact additive channels	yes	no	no	no
Transfer of mother liquors from deep well plates to crystal plate	yes	yes	yes	no
Hanging and Sitting Drop	yes	no	yes	yes
Coarse screen formulation	yes	no	some	no
Fine screen creation-grids	yes	no	yes	no
Fine screen creation-random	yes	no	no	no
Large dynamic range (100 nL-120 µL)	yes	no	yes	no
Screens in less than 60s	yes	no	no	no
Fast, rigorous wash of all tips simultaneously	yes	no	yes-16 tips	disposable tips
Individual channel dispense	yes	no	yes	no
High-resolution stage	yes	yes	yes	yes
Deep well and crystal plate formats supported	yes	yes	yes	no