Genomics Collaborative's global repository will receive a technological boost in the shape of two automated DNA sample stores designed and built by RTS Thurnall
Genomics Collaborative (GCI) is a leader in industrial scale genetic and proteomic research.
These custom designed +4C and -20C stores will form the centrepiece of GCI's biological repository, which is built to hold more than one million samples. Eric Krause, GCI director of operations, explained, "Despite the increasing availability of high powered technology and tools for DNA, the actual rate of high-throughput, large-scale, genomic analysis is currently constrained by the limited availability of high quality samples with appropriate informed consent.
We have full consent and phenotypic data for each and every sample. Further, we have the samples and data on hand.
The automated system will not only store new samples automatically and accurately, but will retrieve samples on demand.
This retrieval, when done manually, takes us one to two weeks.
RTS Thurnall's automated DNA sample stores will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to get samples to the researcher." Mr Krause continued, "GCI also wants to ensure complete traceability and integrity of our DNA product. When selecting a system to replace our current +4C system, the ability to interface with our Genomics Factory software application, which holds all our biological sample information, was essential.
RTS Thurnall demonstrated that its expertise in robotics and interfaceable programming was robust and reliable, hence our decision to trust them with our most valuable asset - our samples.
After working with RTS Thurnall on the design of the +4C store, we decided to commission a -20C store to be installed soon after." Both stores feature a precision tray withdrawal mechanism, allowing the picking robots to access the entire repository.
The +4C store has a simple port between the store, the picking station and the outside room.
The -20C store has a pneumatically controlled door between the store and the picking station and an air knife between the picking station and the outside room to protect the integrity of the repository and picking environments.
Tony Ashworth, RTS Thurnall's project manager, explained, "The picking stations act as complex sorters and sample managers utilising barcode readers, set down locations, tube readers, tray transfer mechanisms, and a specially designed administration software application.
All plates and tube racks in the system can be identified and tracked via barcodes, as well as human readable text.
The robot scans the barcodes before selecting, removing and placing the sample tubes in one of several predefined locations.
"Our robotic tube gripper has been designed to exploit the extremely small gaps between the sample microtubes in each rack, clasping hold of each tube in a movement that mimics a human hand.
The gripper has been tested in our laboratories, operating on the specific microtubes and caps that were selected by GCI.
After several weeks of testing, this gripper system has successfully handled half a million tubes without any failures.
The selected tubes are then placed in a transport rack prior to final individual tube verification by the 2D data matrix barcode reader, allowing all 96 microtubes to be verified simultaneously." Janice Williamson, GCI director of laboratory operations, commented, "We are very excited about the implementation of this automated storage and retrieval system.
GCI will be one of the first biorepositories to use this type of system.
We expect to handle in excess of 4,000 samples per day.
Having the process automated will ensure accurate and quick turnaround times for our own and outside researchers.
We believe this automated store will have a positive impact on genomic research now and in the future."
