A Universal Micromanipulation Robot for Crystallography

通用晶体学显微操作机器人

• 批准号: 6880524
• 负责人: ROBERT VIOLA
• 金额: $ 19.82万
• 依托单位: SQUARE ONE SYSTEMS DESIGN
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-07-01 至 2006-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6880524
• 关键词: X ray crystallography; bioimaging /biomedical imaging; biomedical automation; buffers; high throughput technology; ligands; micromanipulator; molecular /cellular imaging; robotics; technology /technique development

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The accelerating pace of research in the fields of rational drug discovery and structural genomics has created an acute need for efficient, high throughput crystallography automation. While a variety of automated equipment has been developed for crystallization setup, throughput-limiting bottlenecks still exist in the area of crystal harvesting. Square One Systems Design proposes a modular, multi-function robotic system capable of addressing these remaining process bottlenecks. This Universal Micromanipulation Robot (UMR) is predicated on an innovative, articulating arm design that has the precision and dexterity to perform complex tasks that until now have been impractical to automate. An end-effectors exchange capability will grant a single robot the ability to harvest crystals, apply cryobuffers and ligands, perform seeding operations and transfer cryo-pins into storage cassettes submerged in liquid nitrogen. During Phase I, Square One plans to conduct an applied research program in cooperation with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) Macromolecular Crystallography and Structural Genomics Group in order to establish the feasibility of the Universal Micromanipulation Robot. Manipulators will be evaluated. A controls architecture will be created for the manipulator of choice that will allow the UMR to operate both autonomously and as an extension of a human operator. Task-specific end-effectors will be designed, built and tested. Existing machine vision tools will be refined. Phase I will culminate in the creation of a functional UMR prototype that will be tested at LLNL. If successful, this Phase I effort will serve as the basis for the development of a commercial UMR with expanded functional capabilities during Phase II.

描述（由申请人提供）：合理药物发现和结构基因组学领域的研究步伐加快，对高效、高通量晶体学自动化产生了迫切需求。虽然已经开发了各种自动化设备用于结晶设置，但在晶体收获领域仍然存在限制吞吐量的瓶颈。Square One Systems Design提出了一种模块化的多功能机器人系统，能够解决这些剩余的过程瓶颈。这款通用微操作机器人（UMR）基于一种创新的、铰接式的手臂设计，具有精度和灵活性，可以执行复杂的任务，直到现在还无法实现自动化。末端执行器交换能力将使单个机器人能够收获晶体，应用低温缓冲液和配体，执行播种操作，并将冷冻针转移到淹没在液氮中的存储盒中。在第一阶段，Square One计划与劳伦斯利弗莫尔国家实验室（LLNL）大分子晶体学和结构基因组学小组合作开展一项应用研究项目，以确定通用微操作机器人的可行性。操作者将被评估。将为所选择的操作器创建一个控制体系结构，该体系结构将允许UMR自主操作，并作为人类操作人员的扩展。将设计、制造和测试特定任务的末端执行器。现有的机器视觉工具将得到改进。第一阶段将最终创建一个功能性UMR原型，该原型将在LLNL进行测试。如果成功，第一阶段的工作将作为第二阶段扩展功能的商业UMR开发的基础。

项目成果

Operator-assisted harvesting of protein crystals using a universal micromanipulation robot.

使用通用微型手持机器人对蛋白质晶体的辅助收集。

• DOI: 10.1107/s0021889807012149
• 发表时间: 2007-06-01
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
• 影响因子: 6.1
• 作者: Viola, Robert;Carman, Peter;Walsh, Jace;Miller, Echo;Benning, Matthew;Frankel, Daniel;McPherson, Alexander;Cudney, Bob;Rupp, Bernhard
• 通讯作者: Rupp, Bernhard