Automated Dispensing of Mammalian Cells and Media

The Cell Dispense, a product of Genetix (New Milton, UK), is an automated, low-volume, non-contact, liquid-dispensing platform optimized to deliver volumes of between one-350 µl with high accuracy and reproducibility. The system can dispense into microplates of various formats by using eight-way (for 96-well), 16-way (for 384 well) and 32-way (for 1536-well) manifolds.

The dispense mechanism and manifold design of the Cell Dispense allows adherent or non-adherent cell suspensions (or sterile media) to be plated out with high accuracy and reproducibility, without causing loss of cell viability or damage to cells. Mammalian culture cells are increasingly being used for processes such as protein and antibody production, pharmaceutical screening, and toxicity testing. These process applications are increasingly being miniaturised into 96-, 384- and 1536-well plates. As a consequence, there is a need to accurately dispense multiple small volumes of sterile medium as well as cell suspensions. With these small volumes, the process is both tedious and inaccurate if done manually. Genetix has validated a sterilization process to virtually eliminate cell carry-over and bacterial contamination for this application.

The Cell Dispense can be supplied with an integrated microplate stacker system, the QStack, for unattended dispensing into as many as 35 low profile microplates. The stacker system can automatically remove the lids, dispense into the microplate and then replace the lid as it shuttles to and from the Cell Dispense. The footprint of the Cell Dispense plus QStack allows this system to be placed in a laminar flow hood to take advantage of the lidding and de-lidding facility for sterile, high throughput cell and media dispensing.



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