Hi everyone! We’re looking into automating some basic cell culture processes such as splitting/ expansion, lipofection, cherry picking. 384wp, 96wp, 24wp (deep versions too). It has to be small enough to fit in a standard hood, we do not have the money or space for a dedicated big robot hood or a biobubble option. Was looking into the OT-2, or agilent bravo? any ideas? Thanks!
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Hey Robo! Been a while since I got to play robot matchmaker, a few questions:
What are the dimensions (or model) of your reagent prep hood? Based on ones i’ve seen the Bravo might be too large.
Do you need stamping functionality (pipettes 96 or 384 wells at once) or is a span-8 (1-8 wells at once) okay?
What is the required volume range?
Are you looking for full automation or are manual steps (loading new tip boxes, moving the plate, etc.) okay?
I don’t think any of the main liquid handling robots can fit inside a tissue culture hood, but the microlab prep actually has a HEPA fan module that you can buy. It has a few other advantages like the same CO-RE II channels as the STAR and an overhead camera, as well as plate movement with the CO-RE paddles. No 96-channel head though like what the OT flex has.
Bravo is only useful if you’re only doing 96-channel transfers, it doesn’t have a single channel or eight channel pipettor.
If it doesn’t physically need to be in a biosafety hood, then I second the Microlab Prep with the HEPA module. It’s just an all-around great little instrument with robust hardware and a ton of versatility due to its volume range and independent channels. Beginner friendly too.
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