DNA Extraction, 40.000 samples per day!

In the agricultural industry's plant breeding processes, a machine is utilized to extract DNA from shredded plant material. Throughout the extraction phases, key functions are carried out by essential components provided by Festo. The workflow commences with a holder capable of accommodating up to 400 microwell plates, where 200 plates serve as input and 200 as output.

To streamline the process, an initial step involves the bar code reader SBSI scanning all the microwell plates at the beginning of each run. This information is crucial for subsequent identification and transport. Electric axes EGC, in combination with a semi-rotary drive DRRD and a gripper DHPS, efficiently handle the microwell plates. These plates are placed on carriers that move seamlessly through various stations on a dedicated transport system.

Next, a rinsing phase takes place to separate the DNA from other materials. Metal micro-spheres are introduced, with the DNA selectively attaching itself to these spheres while the remaining material floats up within the microwell plates. The process involves the addition and extraction of liquid at multiple washing stations. To facilitate this, the pipetting head is lowered using an electric slide EGSC. After rinsing, the microwell plates retain clean DNA, which is then transported via the same system to the final processing step: DNA extraction.

During the extraction phase, the responsibility of handling the pipetting head for DNA extraction lies with electric axes EGC, in conjunction with an electric slide EGSL. Each microwell plate contains 96 samples, and the entire process from start to finish takes approximately twenty minutes. To maintain a continuous workflow, a new plate is initiated every 2.5 minutes, ensuring efficient and timely extraction of DNA samples.