Purchase, delivery and installation of an automated cell culture platform Purchase, delivery and installation of an automated cell culture platform

Purchase, delivery and installation of an automated cell culture platform Purchase, delivery and installation of an automated cell culture platform
Subject of the assignment: Delivery and commissioning of an integrated and fully automated cell culture platform with the possibility to prepare different media formulations. Background and Objective: VIB plans to acquire and deploy an automated robotic platform to perform several week-long protocols involving the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into multiple cell types. The platform will be used to differentiate large cohorts (up to 50) of independent hPSC lines and simultaneously differentiate them into at least 3 different neuronal (or glial) cell types. Therefore, it should automate the current manual procedures used in our laboratory, with the aim of improving reproducibility and minimizing technical variability for end users, as well as reducing consumables and FTE requirements. In addition, the automated robotic platform will prepare reagents for various cell culture applications, such as large nucleic acid transfection experiments, preparation of DNA mixtures for the production of recombinant lentiviral or adenoviral vectors, etc. The main procedures to be automated are described below: • Starting sample: multiple hPSC lines in well of 6-, 12- or 24-well plates with barcode, ready to start a differentiation protocol in an incubator with a sorting mechanism. • Preparation of cell culture media: iPSC differentiation protocols often require daily feeding with evolving media formulations (up to 6 different formulations over a 30 day period). The different media formulations require supplementation of basic media (user provided, in the milliliter to liter scale) with small molecules or recombinant proteins (microliter scale). Small molecules and recombinant proteins must be cooled while present in the automated cell culture apparatus. • Cell differentiation regimen: includes daily preparation of specific media by chilled dosing of small molecules or recombinant proteins on basal media (up to 6 different formulations over a 30 day period), daily media replacement and various cell passages. • Preparation of nucleic acid vectors: preparation of combinatorial recombinant DNA-plasmid mixtures for large transfection experiments for screening purposes. • Immunofluorescence staining workflows: Although not strictly a cell culture procedure, cell derivation protocols require extensive quality control using immunofluorescence staining and other techniques. The targeted automated cell culture platform is expected to be easy to use (minimum or no programming experience required) and work seamlessly within 1 month of installation. Preference will be given to platforms compatible with open or commonly available consumables rather than proprietary platforms.