Re:Microarray robots
Paul Morrison (paul_morrison@dfci.harvard.edu)
01 Oct 1999 12:01:46 -0400
Mark,
Since this is going to be the next big thing the ABRF has recently formed The Microarray Research Group. George Grills is kick-starting this group and hopefully will have a lot of useful information for you at ABRF2000. Because transferring this technology into a core environment is just now being undertaken by a few labs I can see why the reponses have been on the lean side. But there are people doing it. They might be shy because they think they are making a lot of mistakes that they don't want to tell anyone but that is the kind of information you want. (I do to.) George had a great session in the last time slot at Durham on Microarrays. Maybe someone who presented could post a synopsis of that session and what they have learned since. Because I bet you can't wait until Feb2000.
You could also start the discussion by telling us by what criteria you have winnowed the list to these three companies? (And don't say dart board).
My two cents on the subject: I 've heard a lot of "my dots are smaller, I can get more spots on a slide, my spot to spot is oh so reproducible". And "my scanner is sooo sensitive". What I haven't seen a lot of is smart software on the back end that will make sense of the enormous amount of data that comes out of one of these things. A core facility can just dump it into a poor post docs lap and move on but eventually the facility is going to want a repeat customer.
-Paul
____________________________________
Paul Morrison JFB216 paul_morrison@dfci.harvard.edu
Molecular Biology Core Facilities Dana-Farber Cancer Institute http://mbcf.dfci.harvard.edu
44 Binney Street 617-632-3082
Boston, MA 02115 fax 632-4814
____________________________________
On Thursday, September 30, 1999, mlively@wfubmc.edu wrote:
> We are planning on purchasing or leasing a robotics workstation
>that would be used to make DNA microarrays. We have looked at a number
>of companies and are trying to decide between the workstations sold by
>Genomics Solutions, Biorobotics, and Packard. We plan to create a core
>facility that to make arrays on glass or membrane. I would appreciate
>any comments from the group that could help guide our decision.
> <I hope the group will forgive this repeated posting but the response
>to my first query was quite limited. I am hoping that some ABRF has some
>experience with these instruments and is willing to share their thoughts
>with us.>
>Thanks,
>-ml
>--
>Mark O. Lively, Ph.D.
>Professor of Biochemistry
>Wake Forest University School of Medicine
>Medical Center Blvd.
>Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157
>Voice: 336-716-2969
>Fax: 336-716-7200
>email: mlively@wfubmc.edu
>
>
--