58 | 405 TS Getting Started Guide
Optimize Magnetic Bead Protocols
Here are some suggestions to consider for optimizing your magnetic bead assays:
l Plate Type: Flat-bottom plates are recommended for magnetic bead assays
because more of their well surface sits closer to the magnet, resulting in
increased magnet strength, than with other plate formats. If you must use
round-bottom plates, increase the between-cycle soak time to improve bead
separation during processing.
l Magnet Height Offset: Deploy this offset to increase the Z-axis or height
setting in all processing options to accommodate the increased height of the
magnet. See Determine Magnet Height Offset on page 61. Use of this feature may
eliminate the need to "Adjust the Aspirate height" described below.
l Shake/Soak Step: Begin the protocol with a delay to let the magnetic beads
settle. Also, specify a mid-cycle soak to let the beads settle after fluid is
dispensed to the plate, e.g. include a 60 second soak before and between
cycles.
Include a 1 second Shake in the first step to best position the plate.
l 6CW Aspirate Travel Rate: select 6CW for the aspirate travel rate. The CW
travel rates are designed to minimize disruption to cell layers on the bottom of
the well. The same principle applies to magnetic bead assays.
l Adjust the Aspirate height: increase the aspirate height setting (Z-axis) which
will increase the residual fluid in the wells but also preserve the beads. Good
results were obtained when keeping the aspirate height around 1.0 mm above
the plate carrier for all but a last Final Aspirate (disabled between cycles).
l Adjust the Aspirate position: When using Flat Magnets below, position the
aspirate tubes near the sides of the wells (X-axis), if possible, to improve bead
retention.
l As always, before running assays, we recommend testing new protocols using
deionized or distilled water and a little Tween
®
20 with the desired microplate
and a magnet installed.
Flat Magnets
Use this information about the flat magnets to fine-tune wash protocol settings:
96F Magnet 7103016
384F Magnet 7103017
405™ TS Microplate Washer
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