Lab Instrumentation

PolyTron

Many of the future’s budding technological advances will stem from improvements in materials science. Polymer materials in particular are playing a critical role in the development of technologies such as nanomedicines, biodegradable implants, and many other scientific feats. To accelerate materials discovery, the GormleyLab is developing an automated and AI-driven polymer chemistry platform to effectively discover new advanced polymer materials. Utilizing top of the line liquid handling robotics, and custom in-house software, the GormleyLab’s autonomous laboratory seeks to significantly accelerate materials discovery. To do this, the GormleyLab uses cutting edge technology and data techniques:

Liquid Handling Robotics

UV-Vis Spectroscopy
Dynamic Light Scattering
Databasing
Machine Learning / AI
SEC-MALS

Footage credit: Jordan Eckhoff & Jules Lee

The inside of the Hamilton STARlet liquid handling robot

The Gormley Lab logo rendered on the PolyTron’s custom polymerization light box (Image and device credit to Jules Lee)

GPC/SEC

•Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), also called size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)

•Organic (DMF) and aqueous (PBS) GPC with high throughput and high resolution columns

•Generally can detect molecular weight from 2000-120,000 Da

•Contains autosampler compatible with HPLC vials or well plates

MALS

•Multi-angle light scattering (MALS) detector in-line with the GPC/SEC

•For absolute molecular weight determination

DLS Plate Reader

•Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and static light scattering (SLS) in well plate format is possible for 96-, 384-, and 1536-well plates

•Can be used to determine hydrodynamic radius (Rh), translational diffusion coefficient (Dh), diffusion interaction parameter (kD), second virial coefficient (A2), and absolute molar mass

•Has temperature ramping capability up to 85 °C

•Can capture images of individual wells

Wyatt Technology DynaPro® Plate Reader III

LSPR

•Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)

•Can quantify the equilibrium dissociation constant (KD), association rate (Kon), and dissociation rate (Koff)

•Is specified for a measurable affinity range from mM-pM

•Can be utilized for kinetics/affinity characterization, competition, epitope screening, yes/no binding, and concentration analysis

UV-Vis Plate Reader

•Ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy plate reader for UV absorbance and fluorescence measurements in 96-well plates (200-1000 nm wavelength range)

•Has temperature and plate shaking functionality

UV-Vis Spectrophotometer

•Wavelength range of 190-1100 nm

•Can be used for cuvettes and is fitted with a fiber optic probe for remote measurements

Hamilton Liquid Handling Robot

•Liquid handling robot for automated pipetting of reagents

•Compatible with several racks that can accommodate well plates, centrifuge tubes, test tubes, PCR strips/plates

•Programmable

•CO-RE gripper and robotic arm for plate manipulation

•8 independent pipetting heads

Hamilton Microlab STARlet Liquid Handling Robot

Flash Chromatography

•Injection valve so can load samples and leave instrument unattended to complete purification

•We use C18 or silica columns

•Fraction collector and real-time UV spectra

HPLC

•High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

•Contains Waters 2996 photodiode array detector

•Autosampler for HPLC vials

•We typically run solvent gradients involving Water/0.1% TFA and acetonitrile on a C18 column