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Mike Ashley, Ph.D., John Rozmaryn, Beckman Coulter, Inc. SAMI software has been an industry leader in powerful, easy-to-use interfaces for integrated automation systems, for almost 10 years. SAMI Workstation EX is the latest addition to this family of intelligent automation software, providing data-driven, dynamic features for optimizing the performance of Biomek Assay Workstations. Optimized Method Scheduling with an Intuitive InterfaceThe heart of SAMI EX is a graphical interface that lets scientists and technicians describe complex assays in a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner. Users draw the flow of plates through the desired assay, configuring liquid handling, incubation, detection, and other operations as necessary. Users can also specify additional resources such as fresh plates, tip boxes, etc. As shown in the figure below, a simple assay can be developed: a reagent is added to an assay plate using a fresh box of tips; the plate is incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature; then, the plate is put into a DTX Series microplate detector to quantify a reaction. Once the assay has been described, the user can schedule multiple instances of it. SAMI's scheduler will interleave operations where possible. For instance, while the first assay plate is being incubated, the second (and third, and fourth, etc.) plate can be loaded onto the deck of the liquid handler for processing. Scheduling can improve overall assay throughput by increasing system utilization while making sure that incubation requirements are observed. Such scheduling has been a key part of SAMI since the beginning. Data-Driven SchedulingSAMI Workstation EX introduces new tools to take advantage of the data associated with labware. As shown in the figure below, the user can use the new If node to affect the path of labware through the assay. The If node is used in the next example to determine which reagent should be added to a given plate. The decision on which reagent to add is based on a labware property that is described by a file at the start of a run. In this example, the data used to determine which reagent to add is available at the start of the run. SAMI EX is therefore able to create a schedule that accurately describes what will happen to each plate. The user can confirm resource requirements and timing before the run, and this gives the user confidence in the system's behavior. Dynamic SchedulingThere are times, however, when decisions must be made on data unavailable when method execution begins. SAMI EX provides dynamic scheduling to address these situations. The next example revises the previous example to illustrate this. The user does not know which buffer a given assay plate will require at the start of the run. However, each plate has a barcode on it, and there is a barcode-indexed file available on the computer that contains the buffer selection information. The method can access this information using the ReadFile node. Once the data has been collected, the method is rescheduled using the Reschedule node so that it executes the correct transfer. This example of dynamic scheduling and resource planning can be extended to a wide variety of assay needs, including hit picking, plate replication, data-based incubations, and more. As shown in the figure below, the user retains control over the schedule by choosing whether or not to use the Reschedule node. The user can choose not to use it for methods that do not need to react to runtime data. The consequence is that the user can verify timing and resource requirements before execution begins and have greater confidence in the results of the run. For methods that require the additional flexibility of rescheduling, the user can make deliberate use of the Reschedule node to control where rescheduling occurs during execution. SAMI EX keeps control over dynamic scheduling in the hands of the user. Powerful Features - When You Need ThemAssays fall into a range of categories. Some assays are straightforward assays designed to generate new data for analysis and use in making decisions. Other assays are themselves driven by data obtained earlier in a scientist's process. Still other assays are driven by data that isn't available until the run has started. SAMI Workstation EX provides the features and flexibility required for the user to best express their assay; no matter which of the three categories it falls into, the user can still have confidence in the results of the run. For comments or questions about T3 Update, please contact David Daniels, Ph.D., editor.
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