Precision and efficiency are central tenets of scientific workflows, and they become especially important in workflows involving numerous liquid handling tasks. Often, automation engineers are tasked with building automated pipelines for highly complex scientific workflows involving numerous liquid handling steps. While traditional liquid handling devices have the capacity to perform liquid handling, they are often limited in terms of precision and efficiency. Low-volume, non-contact liquid dispensers represent a potential solution for improving precision and efficiency in complex workflows.
Here, we discuss the essential role of reagent dispensing in scientific workflows, compare liquid handling solutions, and highlight key factors that should be considered by automation engineers when choosing liquid handling solutions for automated workflows.
Liquid handling, the process of reformatting, transferring, and dispensing liquid solutions, is an essential part of all scientific workflows. Liquid handling solutions have evolved drastically from the early days of mouth pipetting to the recent emergence of advanced automated pipetting technology1–3. Automated pipetting technologies are innovative liquid handling solutions that come with several advantages over manual pipetting, including:
These important advantages make automated liquid handling solutions an essential component of scientific workflows, particularly complex, multi-step, or high-throughput pipelines3,4.
Automated liquid handling solutions can be classified into traditional liquid handlers and non-contact dispensers. Traditional liquid handlers rely on air displacement mechanisms to dispense liquid through disposable tips5. While using fresh sterile tips at each step is essential for minimizing the contamination risk, it also leads to high consumable expenditure and slows down the workflow. Moreover, the range is generally smaller, and the use of tips means there tends to be a low degree of accuracy at lower volumes.
On the other hand, a non-contact liquid handling or dispensing system utilizes an air pressure and droplet ejection mechanism to dispense liquid through a pore (Fig. 1)5. For example, DISPENDIX’s I.DOT Non-Contact Dispenser has precisely molded consumable source wells containing a 600, 100, or 200 μM pore. It is equipped with individually controlled positive pressure channels, which apply precisely controlled pressure pulses to the consumable source wells, leading to droplet dispensing into the target plate.
Figure 1. Non-contact dispensers, like the I.DOT Liquid Handler, utilize a specific droplet ejection mechanism for tip-free liquid dispensing.
Non-contact liquid dispensers have several advantages over traditional contact dispensers, including:
Figure 2. DropDetection sensors count droplets dispensed by the I.DOT Non-Contact Dispenser to ensure accurate dispensing.
For automation engineers, there are a number of considerations that should be made when selecting the most appropriate liquid handling solutions for automating a complex experimental pipeline.
Low-volume non-contact dispensers have emerged as a liquid handling solution capable of addressing the need for precision and efficiency within scientific workflows, especially those encompassing complex liquid handling tasks. These dispensers present a viable solution to the challenges associated with traditional liquid handling systems, including compromised accuracy and excessive, unsustainable use of consumables, and should be considered by automation engineers in the development of automation pipelines.
At DISPENDIX, we wholeheartedly advocate for the integration of low-volume non-contact dispensers into every automation enthusiast's arsenal. These dispensers are not merely tools; they are catalysts for scientific progress, enabling researchers to push the boundaries of knowledge with unparalleled precision and efficiency.
Embrace the power of automation and let low-volume, non-contact dispensers propel your research to new heights. Schedule a workflow consultation today!