Method for Interfacing a Plate Reader Spectrometer Directly with an OT-2 Liquid Handling Robot

Abstract

The Opentrons OT-2 liquid handling robot is a powerful instrument available at an affordable price, yet due to the limited accessories available cannot perform some functions of more expensive liquid handling robots, such as the automated transfer of plates to a spectrometer for analysis. Here, we describe the hardware and software necessary to interface a commercial UV-Vis plate reader with an OT-2, allowing the liquid handling robot to directly aspirate or deposit into a 96-well plate located on the plate reader.

Review of low-cost self-driving laboratories in chemistry and materials science: the “frugal twin” concept

“…At a signicantly lower cost, the Opentrons OT-2 platform can perform single-step, multi-batch synthesis and limited characterization techniques using an integrated plate reader, focused primarily on biological applications. 62,82 Fig. 1 Spectrum of frugal twin capability vs. cost trade-off.…”

“…(A) From left to right: solid dispenser for colored wax, 55 chocolate 3D printer (*) 56 with a 3-point bend test, 57 arc melter (*), 58 metal 3D printer (**) and mechanical testing system for metals (**). (B) From left to right: liquid handling for dye mixing, 55 automated titrator built from LEGO, 48 Jubilee sonochemical synthesis platform used with a plate reader (*) for absorbance and fluorescence measurements, [59][60][61] automated liquid handler (**) integrated directly with a plate reader (*), 61,62 The next lowest in cost is the Jubilee system which can be adapted to perform sonochemical synthesis and used with an offline plate reader. 59,60 The automated titrator built from LEGO, one step lower in cost than the Jubilee, can no longer perform synthesis but only multi-batch liquid dispensing, and uses a pH probe for characterization.…”

“…(A) From left to right: solid dispenser for colored wax, 55 chocolate 3D printer (*)56 with a 3-point bend test,57 arc melter (*),58 metal 3D printer (**) and mechanical testing system for metals (**). (B) From left to right: liquid handling for dye mixing,55 automated titrator built from LEGO,48 Jubilee sonochemical synthesis platform used with a plate reader (*) for absorbance and fluorescence measurements,[59][60][61] automated liquid handler (**) integrated directly with a plate reader (*),61,62 and Chemspeed integrated with an HPLC-MS/MS. Images marked with (*) were reproduced with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY).…”