Containers
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Containers are physical vessels that hold one or more aliquots of liquid. Almost every Platform device accepts SBS-format plates.
Every container has a maximum capacity, a dead volume, a safe minimum volume and a set of capabilities. Dead volumes factor into automated liquid handling: due to how the process of automated liquid handling works, less than 100% of the volume in a well may be aspirable accurately (or at all). This residual volume is known as the well's dead volume.
A container's capabilities is the list of device classes that can use its form factor. Virtually all automated devices require a microplate format container. All microplate format container types, and only microplate format container types, begin a number corresponding to the number of wells on the plate. For example, 96-flat is the type code for 96-well, flat bottom optically clear plates. A type code that does not begin with a number, such as micro-1.5, does not have an SBS microplate footprint.
Keeping track of a container's capabilities is extra important because dead volumes mean that reformatting is a costly operation. You must put thought into your protocol design to avoid needing to reformat aliquots between plate types for different devices more than necessary. Strateos Platform will automatically verify plate types and instructions when you submit a request and reject the request if a plate being used is not compatible with an instruction, which can be fixed by inserting a pipette instruction to reformat the aliquot in question, subject to the limitations described above.
Consumable prices are taken into account when pricing a run.
Compatible Container Types
| Type Code | Max Capacity | Dead Volume | Safe Minimum | Capabilities | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
96-pcr | 160 µL | 3 µL | 5 µL | pipette, sangerseq, spin, thermocycle, incubate, gel_separate, seal, stamp, dispense | $4.93 | 96 well PCR plate |
96-flat | 340 µL | 25 µL | 65 µL | pipette, spin, absorbance, fluorescence, luminescence, incubate, gel_separate, cover, stamp, dispense | $9.56 | 96 well flat-bottom optically clear plate |
96-deep | 2000 µL | 5 µL | 30 µL | pipette, incubate, gel_separate, cover, stamp, dispense | $9.94 | 96 well v-bottom deep well opaque plate |
96-deep-kf | 1000 µL | 15 µL | 50 µL | magnetic_transfer, pipette, stamp, spin, dispense, cover, uncover, incubate | $9.82 | A KingFisher Flex compatible container for magnetic bead separations. |
96-v-kf | 200 µL | 15 µL | 20 µL | magnetic_transfer, pipette, stamp, spin, dispense, cover, uncover, incubate | $6.31 | A KingFisher Flex compatible container for magnetic bead separations. |
384-pcr | 40 µL | 2 µL | 3 µL | pipette, spin, thermocycle, incubate, gel_separate, seal, stamp, dispense | $9.35 | 384 well PCR plate |
384-flat | 90 µL | 7 µL | 15 µL | pipette, spin, absorbance, fluorescence, luminescence, incubate, gel_separate, cover, stamp, dispense | $13.73 | 384 well flat-bottom optically clear plate |
384-echo | 65 µL | 15 µL | 20 µL | pipette, seal, spin, incubate, stamp, dispense | $7.35 | Labcyte echo 384 well flat-bottom plate |
micro-1.5 | 1500 µL | 15 µL | 20 µL | pipette, gel_separate, incubate (ambient only) | $0.06 | 1.5 mL microtube |
micro-2.0 | 2000 µL | 5 µL | 40 µL | pipette, gel_separate, incubate (ambient only) | $0.06 | 2.0 mL microtube |
Tubes
The 1.5-micro tube is made of polypropylene. It is rated up to 25,000 x g for centrifugation.
Microplates
All plates are non-treated polystyrene plates manufactured by Corning. The plate bottoms of standard plates enable readings down to 340nm. Currently both 96-flat and 384-flat are white skirted microplates. Dedicated UV plates can be used down to 200nm.
PCR plates
All PCR plates consist of a poylcarbonate frame and thin polypropylene wells for optimal heat transfer. qPCR instructions default to white-well plates for improved signal quality.
Echo plates
384-echo plates are required for acoustic transfer of liquids using the Labcyte Echo. Similar to PCR plates they can be sealed but not lidded, however, they have flat wells to enable acoustic transfer.
Lids and seals
During their lifecycle containers will need to be covered. While individual tubes come with their own lids and currently do not have a specific lidding instructions, all microplates need to be explicitly covered using the lid or seal instruction respectively.
Lids
All lids are made of polystyrene. The low_evaporation lid features condensation rings compatible with all round well microplate types. Both the standard and low_evaporation lid type feature corner notches, ensuring a secure fit. The universal plate type fits on all plates offered, since it has a shorter skirt and no corner notch.
Universal Lid Considerations
Universal lids should only be used for short term incubations. They do not effectively protect against evaporation and are thus not suitable for long-term incubation.
| Lid Type | Compatible Container Types | Price |
|---|---|---|
standard | 96-flat, 96-deep, 384-flat, 384-flat | $0.84 |
low_evaporation | 96-flat | $0.62 |
universal | 96-flat, 96-deep, 384-flat, 384-flat | $0.86 |
Seals
The default seal type is an optically clear, peelable seal that is appropriate for PCR and qPCR applications. Seal prices are taken into account when calculating the price of a run.
| Seal Type | Price |
|---|---|
ultra-clear | $0.31 |
foil | $0.31 |
Storage Conditions
In addition to being incubated at specific temperatures, containers are also stored in specific environments when not in use. The available environments are as follows:
| Name | Temperature (degrees celsius) |
|---|---|
ambient | 22 to 25 |
cold_4 | 4 |
cold_20 | -20 |
cold_80* | -80 |
*The cold_80 environment is not available for 6-flat plates
Destroying Containers
Any container, in particular old, unused or accidentally created ones, can be destroyed and removed from your Inventory by navigating to the container and selecting the gear icon in the upper right side of the container view. Then select "Destroy container", after which the container cannot be used in future runs and a "Pending destruction" flag is added.
Containers pending destruction cannot be used in future runs.
Renaming Containers
You can rename your containers by clicking on the vertical ellipsis in the top-right of the container page.
Updated over 2 years ago