INTRODUCTION

We present data showing the versatility of using pin tools on a liquid handling robot. V&P Scientific pin tools can reliably transfer liquids from as little as 2 nanoliters up to 0.5 microliters with CV's averaging 3-5%. The same pin tool can be used to transfer a range of volumes by controlling the speed at which the pin tool is removed from the source liquid. Any pin tool can be adapted to most liquid handling robots, regardless of the pipettor head. For example, a 1536-pin tool can be adapted onto a 96-channel pipettor robot or a 96-pin tool can be fitted onto a 384-channel robot. This can be a useful way to bring out-of-date equipment back into the high-throughput lab.

By precision machining a calibrated slot in the tips of many of the pins, the range of volumes carried by a given diameter pin can be greatly increased. Slot sizes vary from 6 nanoliters to 0.5 microliters depending on the diameter of the pin. Any of the pins can be pre-treated with a permanently bonded hydrophobic/lipophobic coating for different applications. V&P Scientific pin tools have been used to transfer a host of samples from compound libraries in 100% DMSO to DNA and cultures in aqueous solutions.