W0353

Fully Automated Workstation for Vapor Diffusion and Microbatch Protein Crystallography. Kirby Reed, Joan Stevens, Ben Schroeder, Gilson, Inc., 3000 West Beltline Hwy, Middleton, WI 53562, www.gilson.com

Automating the process used in protein crystallization, namely vapor diffusion or microbatch, is extremely advantageous especially in high throughput laboratories. In general, automation improves throughput, decreases error within and between experiments, and generates a report of the steps performed. The workstation employed in this work is a Cartesian X, Y, Z robot capable of automating protein crystallization, namely vapor diffusion and microbatch experiments. The workstation is capable of performing a wide range of sitting drop and microbatch experiments both through variations of constituents and plate accessibility. The use of disposable tips and optional tools make the workstation very versatile not only for protein crystallization, but also for formulation of custom screens and other liquid handling techniques performed in the lab. The software provides a user-friendly interface to the workstation with enhanced bi-directional communication and control for peripheral instruments. The capabilities and performance specifications for the workstation will be presented in regard to protein crystallization for vapor diffusion, microbatch, and common liquid handling practices used in crystallography laboratories.