MolBank

MolBank

Automated cold storage and sample management system

Stores 2,571 microplates; 1,014 deep-well plates, or 97,344 microtubes in a compact footprint

Precise control of temperature down to
-20°C, humidity and atmosphere

Fast plate retrieval with barcode reading

Easy interfacing with liquid handlers and robotic systems

The strong increase in the number of compounds synthesized by combinatorial chemistry and screened through HTS assays, and the high number of nucleid acid samples produced by genomic research, makes storage of compounds a new challenge to Life Scientists.

The MolBank fully automates storage and management of such samples libraries, in environmental conditions ensuring long-term quality and stability of the samples (4°C or -20°C, with moisture and oxygen control). Traceability of storage and retrieval operations are guaranteed thanks to embedded bar-code reading.

With a capacity of more than 2500 plates (2571 microplates, 1561 deep-well plates 0.5 ml, 1014 deep-well plates or racks of 1.4 ml tubes), the MolBank has the largest storage capacity for a single instrument.

The installed base of the MolBank is found in laboratories involved in both Drug Discovery (management of libraries of new pharmaceutical compounds) and Genomics (libraries of human genomic samples, oligos…).

Description of the MolBank

Functionally, the MolBank is comprised of a double storage carrousel, a gripper able to store and retrieve plates from these carrousels, all included in a perfectly insulated enclosure. This enclosure is kept cold (4°C or –20°C) thanks to a cooling unit with air circulation. The Molbank exchanges plates with its environment through a specific trap which minimizes heat and moisture exchanges with the external atmosphere.

MolBank, open view

Trap detail

The instrument can be integrated in small systems involving mainly a liquid handler with plate handling capabilities, as well as in larger systems where multiple units are integrated with track robots (up to 6 have been installed in the same system).

Hit Picking and plate replication station example

Software control and integration

Each MolBank is delivered with an ActiveX driver for easy control from third parties softwares. In addition, a new MolBank Supervisor Software allows easy control of single or multiple MolBanks systems, through a graphical user interface based on storage and retrieval worklists. Information on all samples is gathered in a database common to all MolBanks for easier retrieval operations. For seamless integration in platforms, this supervisor can also be controlled in slave mode from a master control software thanks to an advanced technology (ATL / DCOM).

Specifications:

Storage capacity

2 571 microplates,
1 561 deep-well plates 0.5 ml,
1 014 deep-well plates 2 ml or racks of tubes
97 344 microtubes

Option for two formats on the same unit

Temperature control

-20°C, +4 to 20°C (stability +/- 2°C)

Atmosphere control

Nitrogen and moisture, optional

Operating conditions

Ambient temperature: 5°C to 30°C
Relative Humidity: up to 70% at 30°C

Access time

21 to 33 seconds with barcode reading

Barcodes

12 characters maximum, codes available:
CODE 39, ITF, Industrial 2 of 5, COOP 2 of 5, NW-7, CODE 128 JAN/EAN/UPC (A.E.)
0.5 mm min. pitch width, 0.25mm min line width

Interfaces

RS232, LONWORKS network

Dimensions

Height: 2500 mm, Width: 1180 mm, Depth: 1600 mm

Power requirements

100 to 120 VAC / 210 to 240 VAC / 50/60 Hz

0.9 kW for cooling unit, 2.2 kW for robotic drives

Weight (unloaded)

695 / 745 kg (MTP version without/with cooling unit)
605 / 655 kg (DWP version without/with cooling unit)