Sunday, November 6th: 3:45 - 5:45 pm
Lab Automation: Hands-On through Hands-Off BiobankingHow Do You Invest in the Future?A well managed biobank is an investment that pays dividends. Biobanks create repositories of biological specimens for further biomolecular investigations. The sample types collected, preserved, stored, and distributed can be extremely diverse. Thus, laboratory automation is a critical component for handling ever increasing demands.
Where does it make fiscal and scientific sense to automate the process?
- Laboratory design
- Workflow implementation
- Maintaining compliance
- Developing SOPs
- Quality control
- ROI
Learn from the experiences of managers, technicians, and equipment providers as they share their experience of hands-on through hands-off biobanking.
Short course will include an on-site tour and hands-on laboratory experience at the Rutgers University Cell and DNA Repository.
Instructors:
Melissa Rawley-Payne, Assistant Director, CTSI Biorepository, Department of Pathology, Immunology, & Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine
Ellis Gitlin, Director of Sales, Hamilton Storage Technologies
3:30 Networking Refreshment Break
3:40 Chairperson's Opening Remarks
3:45 Challenges of an Automated Biobank: From Sample Processing to Storage
Ellis Gitlin, M.S., Director of Sales, Hamilton Storage Technologies
As the sample collections in biobanks continue to grow at a rapid pace, maintaining these biobanks becomes a challenge. During this talk, the challenges associated with sample integrity, audit trails, and automation will be discussed, as well as how these challenges have been resolved for current end-users.
4:05 Logistical Considerations When Implementing Automated Storage in a Biorepository
Melissa Rawley-Payne, Assistant Director, CTSI Biorepository, Department of Pathology, Immunology, & Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine
There are many factors that should be considered when implementing automated storage in a Biorepository. Some of these factors include vendor selection and cost evaluation, initial project development and ongoing communication with the vendor, vial selection, secondary label requirements, IQ/OQ (factory and site acceptance tests and site specific validation and testing), facility and installation requirements (electrical, IT, space availability, renovation needs), training, software enhancements, integration with a LIMS, and long-term service and maintenance needs. The decision making process including challenges encountered and timeline for implementation for these considerations will be discussed.
4:35 Transition to Hands-On Workstations
4:45 Hands-On Workstations:
1) DNA Extractions on the Chemagic STAR
2) Combined Plasma Aliquotting and Normalizations
3) Hands-on with the SAM Interface and Data Handling Overview
5:45 Close of Short Course
6:00 Opening Reception at RUDCR
*Separate registration required.