| |
In the last
decade, compound library management has risen to
meet the challenge of multi-fold increases both
in stored inventory and delivered outputs to support
high throughput screening operations. |
| |
Although automation
has helped solve this problem of scale up, attention
is now focussing on the integrity of stored solutions
and the quality of delivered assay ready plates,
with ever higher standards of purity and consistency
being demanded. In addition, compound repositories
are being asked to manage a more dynamic, structured,
library and respond ever more rapidly in delivering
tailored compound sets for each screening project. |
| |
In response to these
issues, TAP has developed
PicoTube – a unique, proprietary small-volume
single-use storage tube – for use with its
Solar and HomeBase sample management systems. |
 |
| |
PicoTubes
are designed to allow multiple small volume aliquots
of compound solution to be stored at high density,
and randomly accessed to produce custom 384-well
arrays on demand. |
| |
PicoTube eliminates
the need for freeze-thaw cycles, minimises exposure
of samples to water uptake over their entire life,
and prevents cross contamination. |
 |
| |
Every PicoTube carries
a unique 2-D barcode of a standard format, capable
of being read on benchtop rack readers as well as
in-store code readers. |
| |
PicoTubes coded in this
way have been shown in independent tests(1)
to provide excellent readability, and to be impervious
to exposure to both DMSO liquid and DMSO vapour.
These tests also confirmed the dead volume of PicoTube
to be only 1 microlitre. |
| |
(1)
Routberg paper at ISLAR October 2003 |
 |
| |
PicoTubes are supplied
in standard 384-well format, so are handled just
like a plate. This means that ten times as many
PicoTubes can be stores in a space compared to conventional
microtubes. |
| |
|
| |
|
