Hey, y’all we’re getting unavoidable problems w/ bubbles when doing MCA transfers due to not all plates having liquid in them. Is there a general way to get rid of bubbles w/o taking it off deck and using a centrifuge?
Which MCA are you using?
Lots of variables here, but one thing that came to my mind was to dispense above liquid level in the destination plate and then do a touch off (move down to liquid level) to remove droplets from the tips. But without more details I can’t guess how successful that would be at remedying your problem.
this is the 96MCA
Hmmm lemme try my best to clarify. The objective is to get rid of spinning down off-deck centrifuge to address getting rid of bubbles after transfers/mixing. Are there any general solutions that don’t require off-deck spin downs to get rid of bubbles?
What type of liquid? What volume are you mixing? And how much volume is originally in the plate?
I can answer those questions but I feel like that would be beside the point of my original post. I guess another way to phrase it would be does Tecan support a proprietary centrifuge? if not, what else? I’m looking for a one size fits all way to get rid of bubbles no matter the variables… So sorry I am explaining this poorly.
I used to script a double tip-touch with the FCA to burst bubbles inside wells of 96DW plates - Might work for MCA and blind touch-off but this depends on the liquid you’re working with and how tenacious your bubbles are. I wouldn’t consider this a guaranteed method, though.
There’s probably no perfect one-size-fits-all solution. You’ll likely need a few things fine-tuned for your specific needs.
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I see, yes, there are centrifuges that can be integrated with a Tecan. I’ve only ever spec’d a huge Hettich floor standing model that goes beneath the deck of the Tecan, but I’m sure they can also integrate smaller centrifuges like an Agilent VSpin provided there aren’t any physical constraints preventing the RGA from moving the plate into the centrifuge.
I guess without specifics, you could dispense at Z-Dispense with Tracking so it moves up as you dispense to avoid pipetting bubbles into a liquid. Does that apply to you? Do you need to pipette into another liquid? If you could try pipette at a tall height and then mix just to ensure you get everything out of the tip if you’re concerned.
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you could make the dispense height a little more accurate,
set the dispense offset (above Z bottom) to be a calculated mm height relevant to the volume being dispensed
there is a “calculateHeight” function (calculateHeight(labwareName, well, compartment, volume)) which reports back a mm height that could be used as an offset,
re the centrifuge question - a Hettich is really overkill, V-Spin with Access option is probably “easiest” to integrate - HiG from Bionex is also a good option for 2 x plates and a better imbalance tolerance
depending on liquids, plates types, volumes etc - a really fast shaker could also assist in reducing bubbles during dispensing; whether shaking during or post dispensing
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Without knowing more specifics: Have you considered mixing below the full volume? 100 uL => move tips to Z_MAX+1, mix slowly and 30uL each. I don’t think bubbles would form then. I do something similar for detatching cells after trypsinization
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Did you try jnecr suggestion: above liqud and tip touch?
The HiG is probably the most common one with the long Z RGA or you can have it off to the side with a standard Z.