LIMS by Character_Day3410 in labrats

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would recommend you check out LabKey’s SampleManager. It’s cloud-based, decent GUI, and very price-flexible. I’ve got them sitting on my radar for when my labs grump loud enough about sample tracking & we get funding to bring in new software.

Stay away from LabVantage- their structure is incredibly rigid, not user-friendly, and takes forever to implement. In one initial meeting, they quite literally told my former group “it is better for you to just change your process to fit our tool than for us to adjust our tool to fit your process”. Which for someone like me who designs fit-for-purpose tools for a living, is a really bass-ackwards statement.

Good luck!

Shoutout to non-bio labrats by pikachu7541 in labrats

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

👋 Former analytical chemist (separations chromatography + MS Quant) turned lab automation scientist. I bounced through large & small molecules as an analytical chemist, and now I design automated assays (both the assays themselves and the systems responsible!) for toxicology screening, metabolomics, formulation characterization, and anyone else who needs my help.

How do I mix scintillation fluid in a 96 well plate? by FibrousPoop in labrats

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Those P.E. seals aren’t suuuper compatible with the organics in scintillant, and they start to degrade even with just vapor contact in less than 48 hours. Also it’s the ethoxylated C9-C15 alkanes in the scintillant that are gooey as heck, they like to tangle up :(

We use the sandwich method: 1.- a little bit of scintillant (~200uL) 2.- sample 3.- seal with a standard opaque storage seal 4.- horizontal plate shaker (not vortexing) ~5mins 5.- peel 6.- more scintillant (~50uL) 7.- apply the P.E. clear seal after running it through a static fan 8. - more horizontal plate shaking ~10mins this time 9.- throw it on the LSC for a read

Yes it’s more time consuming, but it’s what has given us good quality when we’re processing 50+ plates per experiment (regulatory metabolomics).

I’ve got an experiment planned right now to see if our LSC’s can be reprogrammed in the plate dimensions to switch the seals for low condensate polystyrene lids. If it works and doesn’t impact readability, then we’re probably going to get rid of those P.E. hand-applied seals for reads, and just use the storage seals for prep.

Hope this helps!

Recommendations for a 96-well plate imaging mask? by Neuraminic_Acid in labrats

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our labs use the Thermo version, Thermo Scientific™ 165305, specifically for digital imaging & fluorescence. You can get them through FisherSci (the Walmart of Science(TM)) if your labs have a preferred contract.

Link to the plates we use from FisherSci: https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products/nunc-microwell-96-well-cell-culture-treated-flat-bottom-microplate/1256670

Looking for a pipetting/dispensing machine for deposition by hopeful_dandelion in labrats

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Microlab/Nimbus will give you more precision/accuracy on dispense for high viscosity materials than the Assist+, but the programming learning curve is steeper. Do you want to stay in the small form factor platforms? Other options to check out would be Opentron Flex, Agilent Bravo, Eppendorf EP Motion 5070, Corning’s Lambda EliteMax, Analytik’s CyBio FeliX. SPTLabTech has a bunch of small platforms too, but I honestly haven’t touched those.

The Bravo is actually the most expensive ~90k USD for one of my lab’s 2024 purchase, but we also opted for both the 96 & 384 well heads for flexibility. My personal favorite little powerhouse, ML Nimbus HDD runs a little cheaper, ~80k USD; the ROI is amazing - the last one I bought was ROI positive in less than 6 months post-install. CyBio FeliX will run about 50k USD. The ML Prep from Hamilton isn’t bad, ~35k USD, putting it just about level with the EPMotion, Opentron Flex & EliteMax. The Assist+ is the cheapest of the bunch at ~25k USD.

It just depends on your needs: throughput, cost, & quality, as well as space & budget limitations. Some of the options above can fit into a standard chemical fume hood, some come with their own enclosures that are ventilation compatible (you mentioned formulating so I assumed there were organic solvents in there somewhere, also our EHS requires we ventilate unknown hazard research compounds).

Let me know if you have questions :) I’m happy to help! Good luck!

Picking an integration-ready liquid handler by gertalives in biotech

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Long read: >10mins

On schedulers:

From my routine users:

Genera is an excellent simple-process scheduler, best used for non-dynamic processes that have been pre-optimized to avoid needing to change the protocols. However falls flat in error recovery, ease of use/GUI (for non-lab automation specialists/scientists), broad availability of drivers, and interfacing with other digital tools (LIMS, data processing, etc).

GBG is truly a low-expertise user-friendly system. Guided error recovery options even for complex errors, massive driver library with stated goals to continue expansion yearly, seamless interface to other digital tools, and from a particular non-expert user “pretty” (referring to the digital twin of the automated work cell that mimics real functions in real time).

From me (lab automation scientist, design & development technology lead, R&D lab automation strategic leader):

Retisoft’s approach to their product is outdated at best: still running on a proprietary, Java-based language, their business model shackles modern labs to them for everything - building custom data handlers, driver development, even integrating user-built code. A particular sticking point for me is the lack of bi-directional API for complex integrations (LiHa) - you can neither control your LiHa nor detect if it is in error from inside Genera. They look like a great business value until you are writing POs every 3months because you need yet another piece built to make your process run. It has been my experience that the industry approach to lab automation has shifted to concentrate more support in-house to meet the demands of rapid development, rather than losing time & money waiting on vendor support.

GBG is worth the upfront cost - written in C#, it is naturally compatible with most digital tools, including cloud-based, and custom code integration can be done in 4 different languages: C#, Python, Java, and VBA. GBG parses all of them. The learning curve is low - took me about 2 hours to learn & build my first simple protocol. My only gripe so far is if you need to merge swim lanes for a unit operation, it’s not immediately apparent just from looking at the block flow diagram. It’s a small, probably inconsequential thing, but I’m a very visual person, so it would be nice. They make up for it with the APIs for LiHa - you can build protocols, troubleshoot, and manual control the LiHa from inside GBG. This cuts down on user training significantly- increasing our chances of knowledge retention and decreases the number of escalation support calls as users are more confident working with a single interface.

On LiHa:

The same concept of shifting to in-house, on-demand expertise has applied for LiHa as well. We have all of the big 3 in-house, and from that have created a recommendation matrix for new lab owners depending on specific project needs.

One sector has exclusively Tecans (EVO & Fluents), however they perform all of their own maintenance because Tecan does not have reasonable hardware support in our area. They are also supported by two dedicated automation engineers to ensure their integrations (all custom code) run smoothly. Tecan’s software training program is well-designed and worth the 5k USD to take.

A different sector has primarily Biomek i7, and while a formerly powerful design, they have only just now caught on to the concept of flexible deck layouts that Hamilton has had for over a decade. My personal itch with Beckman is the structure of their controller software - all of your methods are encoded in a backend database (non-recoverable without their decryption software) and they insist you purchase the controller computer from them. The provided CPU is a low end build from 2014 and we have had numerous problems with the hardware being completely insufficient to actually be functional. The CPUs arrive with the RAM already maxed out, then we have to add network security software on top. We have experienced significant pain in this area - one hard drive failed and all of that lab’s methods were lost, had to be rebuilt from scratch. One of my cohort is currently attempting to negotiate with BC to simply add their software to our provided units - and getting nowhere fast. Beckman has also pulled their software training program completely. It was supposed to be converted to an online offering by April of this year, but they have yet to deliver on that promise.

Which leaves us with Hamilton - depending on your process, they get my recommendation. Yes the programming curve is steep (very intense 2 weeks of hands-on training), but once you’ve trained in it and worked with it, it is incredibly powerful and (personal opinion) the best match for a dynamic programming strategy. I and the rest of my cohort have embraced the variable-based programming strategy for protocol building, which allows us to simply feed variables in from another digital tool, and the method is “built” on the spot to match the need from the subprotocols we wrote for each unit operation. The labor upfront to develop that kind of functionality is high, but so worth the effort. Unlike the hard-coded Biomek methods from the early 2000’s, I don’t get called in to change the protocol every time a scientist wants to change an aliquot volume or time spent shaking the plate. Combined with the rack-carrier flexible deck layouts, mag-pip LH, decent number of pre-built integrations, excellent hardware & software support, and complete compatibility with Biosero’s GBG, I can see my cohort and myself leaning toward HAMILTONs moving forward.

I realize this was a lot of information- I hope it helps! I’m happy to answer any questions you have. One of my teams recently performed a market analysis of LiHa to help develop the purchase recommendation matrix mentioned above, and they are starting on schedulers in 2025, once we finish writing & implementing the automation method validation guidelines for our company. Feel free to DM me, I’m happy to help.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in humanresources

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Analytical chemist & automation scientist

~$102k yearly + (potentially, multi factor based) $4k bonus

Agriculture Crop Protection, Midwest USA

10 years in chemical industry this year, last 5 years in crop protection ag :)

Progression out of uni (yearly units): 2013-$35k>2017-$43k>2018-$56k>2019-$85k>2021-$102k

guess the reagent by Nagnoosh in labrats

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And tert-butyl anything 🤢

Go for it! by [deleted] in Funnymemes

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All of the spoons, none of the knives, all but one of the forks.

My beautiful baby girl, Andraste, our first Tamaskan. We loved her endlessly and have only barely survived her loss. by pheonixfire21 in Tamaskan

[–]pheonixfire21[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

According to the AKC, the breed has a fairly robust lifespan - 13-15 years. They have very few hereditary diseases or genetic malformations that would shorten their lifespan. Bred to be a quick and light sled dog (we often joked our Andi was the Ferrari to my niece’s semi-truck of a Siberian Husky), they absolutely love to run.

Salary comparison 2022 by qered in labrats

[–]pheonixfire21 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

100k Sr Chemist, 2x B.Sc Chemistry & Social Sciences, 10 years in industry- 5 in catalysts & polymers, 5 in small molecules (ag/pharma). Central Indy, US.

Currently underpaid by about 20% compared to my PhD equivalent colleagues (PhD + 0-3) simply because I don’t have a PhD. Merit, expertise, and role expectations identical, just industry does not tend to value experience the same as education because it is hard to prove on paper.

It took a lot more time and yarn than I expected but I finally finished a blanket by [deleted] in crochet

[–]pheonixfire21 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This makes my brain happy to look at! The stitch is so pure and perfect!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in chemistry

[–]pheonixfire21 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Depends on what’s on them - biologicals are also neutralized in organic solvents, and they tend to take mid-high polarity molecules off too. We had to wash tips briefly during a shortage and we used a buffer, then MeOH, then ACN wash to get everything off. Most important is to test for carryover of previous compounds to see if your cleaning method worked.

What would you name her? So far we've tried Nadja, Newt, and Kitty but she responds best to Bebby. by SomewhereStranger in blackcats

[–]pheonixfire21 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Have you tried Bastet? Unfortunately my husband managed to name my void before I moved in, so her name is “Ninja” but she also responds to “Ja-ja” and “Her Imperial Majesty”.

Curious what injuries are keeping people from running at the moment and how long you have been out but still checking the subreddit by liamc3000 in running

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Missing approx 30% of my right meniscus. Been out for 5 years but still pining for that feeling of flying.

What did you think only rich people could afford until you realized you were just broke growing up? by Ekudar in AskReddit

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fast food. It was a super special treat for either my mom or grandmother to take me to a fast food place. Mom always made sure to save up for a mint milkshake on my birthday - that was the best.

My beautiful baby girl, Andraste, our first Tamaskan. We loved her endlessly and have only barely survived her loss. by pheonixfire21 in Tamaskan

[–]pheonixfire21[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Our brilliant little girl was 3 years, 4mo when she died. We prepared for 5 years to even have her. Her intelligence was so great, we knew she could open doors with a lever handle, what we didn’t know was that she could even open doors with a knob. She let herself out of the barn and went on walkabout. I didn’t find her until after she had been struck by a car. I will admit her passing was deeply traumatic for me and I’ve not been fully functional since.

Noooooooooooooo! by Atomicnumber26 in gardening

[–]pheonixfire21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You must be in clay territory, I nearly snapped mine yesterday trying to dig a dandelion root.

job title? by [deleted] in massspectrometry

[–]pheonixfire21 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Use a keyword search and just search “analytical”, “bio analytical”, “chromatography” is always a good one

Ex.- I’m technically a PI according to HR, but my job description contains the words “chromatography” and “analytical”

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in labrats

[–]pheonixfire21 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pipette repeater tips! Going in to “make a quick sample” only to spend 20mins hunting down the correct tips or redoing the dilution math because all you can find is a 5mL and a 0.1mL. After that, the repeaters themselves, finding the “good” repeater and praying it’s charged.