I am currently optimizing a method in which the Hamilton liquid handler transfers low-viscosity organic solvents and am trying to get different ideas.
I have three questions:
Are there any recommendations or best practices for transferring low-viscosity organic solvents to minimize dripping?
Is it possible to program the Hamilton pipetting channels to follow a specific X, Y, Z path between aspiration and dispense positions in order to control the travel path?
Are there any strategies to prevent cross-well contamination when working with low-viscosity organic solvent matrices that may creep through seals? I.e. sealing the plate and then mixing it and the organic layer creeps into other wells.
Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I found these tips in one of my old PowerPoints, they may be of interest when optimizing the liquid class:
-Pre-wet/pre-mix 3 or more times with the total aspiration volume
-Minimize time between aspiration and dispense
-Speed up the aspiration and dispense
-Set large aspiration blowout volume to create space for vapor
-Large or accumulated transport air gaps can let fluid “leak” down and out of tip
I usually start with the liquid class “DMSO” then make incremental changes once I’ve observed how this LC works with my organic. You could try an Ethanol LC also and see how it behaves with your organic if you think the properties are closer to alcohol than DMSO.
I learned early on that the best mixing practices with the Hamilton are often just pipette mixing. You can slow the mixing down in the LC if you are afraid of cross contamination.
If you can switch to mixing in this fashion you can eliminate the plate seals and the need for a human operator to place a seal on the plate.
I do believe there is a way to change the path but I’ll defer to someone more knowledgeable on that front.