Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Informationstechnik FIT

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  • Publication
    Flexible, application-depended HTS automation concept in genomics and proteomics
    ( 2011)
    Cuntz, Timo
    ;
    Brändlin, Ilona
    ;
    Huchler, Roland
    ;
    Fritsche, Michael
    ;
    Brandenburg, Albrecht
    ;
    Zühlke, Dietlind
    A flexible new concept of a HTS-automation center allows any application in the topics of genomics and proteomics. The fundament of this new concept are our fully automated cell culture systems, in which up to five hundred stem cell pools can be cultivated, sorted in MTPs or flasks per month. Based on this automated cell-culture handling the new HTS technique allows a modular set-up of different process steps. Starting with handling of human/animal cells in an incubator, the system is able to count and split the cells in MTPs or flasks. Liquid handling options allow fully automated and precise dosing of biopharmaceutical compounds to the cells in the MTPs. Process modules are including life-cell-imaging, where fluorescent marked cells are detected. This is interesting in the focus of protein localization or co-localization studies. In order to setup stable cell lines, a specific picking robot separates the positive and negative fluorescent cells in different containers. Afterwards they are processed in an integrated incubator. Possible applications in the field of proteomics are the analysis of recombinant expressed proteins after compounds incubation. If the protein won't be secreted, the cells are fully automated lysed and the supernatant analyzed in a specific screening centre or cellular assay like microarrays. As well functional protein-studies are possible e.g. RNAi. In the field of genomics the DNA/RNA can be separated and analyzed under the use of different assays. We realized this flexible application-depended HTS automation center in a version combining cell-culture handling, life-cell-imaging, compound handling, picking cells and separation between cells and supernatant. Operated via an easy to use graphical-user-interface (GUI) and controlled by efficient scheduling module, it's possible to handle the fully automated system in a flexible way to get validated results in HTS. The talk will cover the technological and application aspects of a fully automated system for pharmaceutical and biotechnological researches and will point out the innovative solutions.
  • Publication
    Live cell monitoring - development of an automated cell cultivation and monitoring system
    ( 2008)
    Malthan, Dirk
    ;
    Huchler, Roland
    ;
    Brandenburg, Albrecht
    ;
    Thielecke, Hagen
    ;
    Hildebrandt, Cornelia
    ;
    Zühlke, Dietlind
    The reproducibility and comparability of cell cultures presently suffers from different and user-dependant handling by the technical personnel in the cell culture laboratory. Although there are first automated systems available, those are based upon rigid industrial processes, do not provide optical monitoring and cannot be run under optimal climate conditions. Within a joint project between four Fraunhofer Institutes, a platform technology for reproducible and standardized cell monitoring and cultivation has been established. After the input of a source cell culture flask, the complete cell culture procedure is executed automatically, including optical monitoring, addition of factors, exchange of media, passaging and reformatting. This is only feasible by means of an optical image acquisition of cell cultures and a user-friendly image analysis software that determines cell culture condition in order to control cell culture process accordingly. The cell culture process can thereby also be documented and archived. Finally, the expanded cells (contained in flasks or micro well plates) can be taken out and applied for cell-based screening, toxicity tests or other purposes. The whole cultivation process takes place under cultivation conditions (37 °C, CO2, 98 % humidity) to leave the cell culture in an optimal environment and to avoid stress because of climate changes. The talk will cover both technological and application aspects of the developed system regarding image acquisition, trainable software for user-friendly image analysis, the hygienic concept and performed sample applications.