Robots and Yeast genetics
We use a number of robots to perform high-throughput, systematic, yeast genetics. Our robots come from S&P Robotics, Matrix and Beckman.
A Beckman Biomek FX robot is used for liquid handling. The FX can also use a magnetic pin tool to dilute and spot saturated yeast cultures onto agar plates. The FX stacker can process up to 189 plates.
The S&P Robotics Biomatrix 3 carries picking heads that transfer from a single up to 1536 colonies from agar plates to solid or liquid media. This will re array libraries of colonies on agar plates. It is equipped with a 192-plate stacker. We use the Biomatrix 3 primarily for making double mutants, using the Synthetic Genetic Array approach.
spImagers are used for photographing agar plates and also contains a bar code reader. We have a manual version and two automated versions, with 180 plate stacker, that take pictures round the clock.
Finally a Matrix plate filler is used to fill 96 or 384 well plates with liquids such as media or water.
The top right image shows the Biomatrix 3, with stacker. The image to the immediate right shows a photograph of an agar plate after 384 different cultures have been spotted and permitted to grow.
Robots can be seen in action in Banks et al JoVE article/video
