Aspect Automation and Stäubli North America Team Up with Kalypsys for the National Institutes of Health

Aspect Automation, a manufacturer of automation equipment, and Stäubli North America, a manufacturer of robotics systems, have worked with Wako Laboratory Automation/Kalypsys to build a new environmental toxin screening system for installation at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. The system will allow NIH to test millions of compounds quickly, using a variety of cell-based or biochemical assays. Able to run multiple screens simultaneously, the Aspect/Stäubli system can operate continuously (24/7) within a laboratory environment.

Aspect Automation and Kalypsys worked together previously to develop high throughput screening systems for drug discovery, and were able to leverage that experience with the new toxin screening system. They chose Stäubli as a robotics partner based on the RX160L’s capabilities and ease of programming.
 
“In order to succeed on this project, we needed a robot manufacturer who was not only a supplier but a true partner,” said Juan Cardenas, director of sales & marketing for Aspect Automation, in a press release. “Stäubli delivered the robot on time and provided invaluable feedback. The integration and debugging of the robot was flawless for this complex and challenging system.”
 
Aspect Automation integrated all tooling and peripheral equipment for the screening system, which uses the Stäubli RX160L, a 6-axis robot designed with a high degree of flexibility. The robot transfers 1,536 well assay plates to different peripheral devices as defined by the operator. Precise placement of the plates at each of the devices is critical for the continuous operation of the system. A highly configurable washer is used to plate a variety of cells and reagents. Also included on the system are compound transfer stations, compound and assay storage carousels, and multiple imaging devices. Utilizing all of these devices, the system is capable of running a variety of assay formats simultaneously.