Advanced Plate Sequencing with the BioStack | 129
The Nth Plate step is a step container, similar to the Loop and BioStack step
containers. First, you add the Nth Plate step to the protocol and then put the action
steps inside its start and end tags. We call this grouping an Nth Plate block.
For the designated plates, you choose between performing only the Nth Plate steps
or performing both the Nth Plate steps and the protocol steps that follow the Nth
Plate block (and precede the next Nth Plate block). This means you must consider
the placement of the Nth Plate block in relation to the regular protocol steps when
designing a complex protocol. For simple actions, like performing a maintenance
step after a certain number of plates have been processed, make the Nth Plate
Block the last step in the BioStack step container. All the plates will be processed
the same way and then the instrument will perform the maintenance action.
For more complex processing, remember that the steps are performed in ordered
sequence beginning with the first step in the BioStack block. When the first step is
an Nth Plate block, the MultiFlo FX can evaluate it to determine which plates will
be handled in a special way. Any steps that precede an Nth Plate block will be
performed on all plates, including the Nth designated plates.
Multiple Nth Plate blocks can be defined in a protocol to sequentially perform a
series of varying actions on a specified grouping of plates.
Advanced Plate Sequencing with the BioStack
Read
About the Nth Plate Step on the previous page
, if you haven't already done so.
n
To precisely time the events in a BioStack run, also consider the Delay option:
Timer Activated Delay on page 118
Numerous scenarios can be served using these special features, here are a few
examples:
l
Use an Nth Plate step to flush the tubing or perform a maintenance task after a certain
number of plates have been processed.
l
Use a series of Nth Plate or BioStack steps to test the number of wash cycles required for
optimal assay performance.
l
Use a series of Nth Plate or multiple BioStack steps to perform a serial dilution on
recurrent groups of plates: dispense 200 µL to the first plate, 150 µL to the second, and
100 µL to the third.
The BioStack step block creates groups of like-processed plates. The Nth Plate lets
you create a mixed group of plates that have been processed with different
parameters. For example, using three Nth Plate steps you can process a stack of
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