How do I do a plate-to-plate transfer?

Understanding how to do a plate-to-plate transfer is the first step toward creating protocols on the Microlab Prep. All pipetting steps work similarly, so if you understand how to create a plate-to-plate transfer, you will understand how to pipette with the Prep. This article breaks down each step for creating a plate-to-plate transfer.

Requirements

• Tips (optional for deck scan)
• Source and target plates (optional for deck scan)

Procedure

1. Turn on the Prep and sign in if prompted.
2. Tap New Protocol to get started. If you are adding a plate-to-plate transfer to an existing protocol, skip to step 7.
3. If your labware is available, place it on the deck and tap Detect. The Prep’s camera will scan the labware on the deck and identify it. A model of the deck layout will appear, with either the detected labware or empty sites where labware can be added.
   
   If the camera is not being used to detect labware, tap the Add button to manually select each piece of labware for the deck.
4. Confirm the detected labware. Some detected labware may need to be defined with more detail, especially tips. To select the specific variant of a piece of labware, tap any site that is labeled “Select labware” and select which labware you loaded. If the correct labware is not listed, tap “Other…” to manually select from the full list of labware.
   
   If the camera was not used to detect labware, tap empty sites to add labware manually. When the list of labware appears, use the filters on the left side of the page to narrow down the list. If favorite labware has been added, the “Show only favorites” option will automatically be enabled. If your labware is not available, learn about requesting new labware.
5. When the protocol overview appears, tap New Step, then select Transfer Samples. A Transfer Samples step is used for all 1-to-1 pipetting, such as a plate-to-plate transfer.
6. If your Prep has 2 Independent Channels and an 8-Probe Head, select which pipetting tool to use for this step and tap Next. If you are pipetting incomplete columns, you have to use the channels. Otherwise, the 8 MPH can be used to pipette more quickly.
7. Select the source wells and tap Next.
   • To select all wells, tap the source plate.
   • To zoom in and select individual wells, tap the zoom button next to the plate and then select individual wells, columns, or rows.
     
     Keep in mind that if you selected the 8 MPH as the pipetting tool, your selections will be restricted to what all eight channels on the multi-probe head can pipette.
8. Select the target wells and tap Next. Target selection works the same way as source selection. You can also dispense to the liquid waste by checking the “Dispense to waste” option below the deck layout.
9. Enter the required pipetting settings for this step. At minimum, you need to specify the tip type, volume, and liquid type in the General tab. You can also enable a mix before aspirating or after dispensing from this tab.
   • If the deck layout contains only one type of tips, that tip type is automatically selected. If more than one type is present, the tips must be specified using the drop-down menu. If you change or add tips to the deck layout, make sure to update this setting.
   • Tap the volume field and enter a volume to pipette using the number pad. Extra volume can be aspirated by raising the aspirate volume or lowering the dispense volume in their respective tabs.
   • The liquid type is critical for pipetting accurately. Make sure to select the liquid type whose properties most closely match those of your liquid.
     
     If none of the liquid types give you the results you want, learn more about getting accurate and precise results.
10. Adjust the default settings in the Tip, Aspirate, Dispense, and Liquid tabs (optional). The Prep applies common defaults for settings like pipetting depth and mix volume. In most cases, these defaults will be sufficient for a plate-to-plate transfer.
11. Tap Finish to complete the step. Verify the protocol to check for errors. All changes are saved automatically, so you can exit the protocol without losing progress after finishing the step.