W0217

High Throughput Sitting Drop Protein Crystallization. Ma Sha, Corning Life Sciences, 45 Nagog Park, Acton, MA 01720, Lynn Jordan, Jim Batchelor and Ed Alderman, Zymark Corp., 68 Elm St., Hopkinton, MA 01748, Cecile Lesturgeon, Zymark SA France, 13 rue de la Pedrix, BP 40016, 95911 Roissy Charles de Gaulle, Cedex France.

With the completion of the human genome sequencing, an industry-wide shift towards Proteomics and the demand for detailed 3D structure knowledge had increased dramatically. Automated systems for protein crystallization are now necessary to fulfill this demand with increased quality and reliability. As the sample load increases, higher throughput systems for protein crystallization are essential. The availability of enhanced crystallization trays have lead to the development of similarly enhanced liquid handling tools.

In developing these liquid handling tools, we first explored the requirements for working in a 96 SBS format tray, and have now turned our attention to the 384 SBS format for increased throughput and capacity. Here we describe our efforts to meet these needs.