STAR/96-Head: Custom Mix Steps

Hi all,

I’m trying to implement a mixing method on a 96-head (STAR) where the head stays in the liquid (no full retract between cycles). Goal:

  • 10 mixing cycles with 300 ul filtered clear tips
  • Aspirate = fast (60 ul/s), Dispense = slow (20 ul/s)
  • Last cycle = extra-slow dispense to minimize sample retention in tips (5 ul/s)
  • Do not fully retract the tips or move them all the way up/down between cycles. I want tips to remain immersed and only change piston flow rates and liquid level if cLLD enabled

I’ve experimented with loops of aspirate/dispense but the head keeps moving a lot. Does anyone have experience getting per-cycle flow-rate control (and a slower final dispense) while keeping the tips submerged? If mixing/pre-rinsing with an aspirate step then the flow rate is always determined by the aspirate settings.

I recommend checking out the STAR Tools Suite and the following relevant threads. Let us know if this meets your needs!

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