Liquid-handling robot for microbial community analysis

元基因组学使微生物生态学家和分子遗传学家能够更好地了解微生物群落的组成和功能，更重要的是，直接获得了无数负责催化具有潜在商业价值的代谢反应的环境基因和酶。滑铁卢大学生物系有多个研究小组，通过DNA提取、聚合酶链式反应筛选、下一代测序样品准备、元基因组库操作和水化学分析来挖掘微生物群落。由于完全缺乏高通量能力，我们的研究已经变得严重受限、成本效益低下，并对我们的高素质人员构成潜在的健康负担。一个带有相关搅拌机的液体处理机器人将使目前不可能或非常耗时的基本研究得以进行，影响到几乎所有在受影响研究小组培训的高素质人员的培训。

Metagenomics has enabled microbial ecologists and molecular geneticists to better understand microbial community composition and function and, importantly, directly access myriad environmental genes and enzymes responsible for catalyzing metabolic reactions of potential commercial value. The Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo has multiple research groups mining microbial communities through DNA extraction, PCR screening, sample preparation for next-generation sequencing, metagenomic library manipulations and water chemistry assays. Our research has become severely constrained, cost-ineffective, and a potential health liability for our highly qualified personnel due to the complete lack of high-throughput capacity. A liquid-handling robot with an associated mixer mill would enable essential research that is currently impossible or extremely time consuming, affecting the training of nearly all highly qualified personnel trained in affected research groups.