title: Maintaining Microclimates during Nanoliter Chemical Dispensations Using Custom-Designed Source Plate Lids.
abstract: A method is described for using custom snap-on lids to protect chemicals in microtiter plates from evaporation and contamination. The lids contain apertures (diameter 1.5, 1.0, or 0.5 mm) through which the chemical building blocks can be transferred. The lid with 0.5 mm apertures was tested using a noncontact acoustic liquid handler; the 1.0 and 1.5 mm lids were tested using two tip-based liquid handlers. All of the lids reduced the rate at which solvents evaporated to room air, and greatly reduced the rate of contamination by water and oxygen from room air. In steady-state measurements, the lids reduced the rate of evaporation of methanol, 1-hexene, and water by 33% to 248%. In cycled experiments, the contamination of aqueous solvent with oxygen was reduced below detectability and the rate at which DMSO engorged atmospheric water was reduced by 81%. Our results demonstrate that the lids preserve the integrity of air-sensitive reagents during the time needed for different types of liquid handlers to perform dispensations. Controlling degradation and evaporation of chemical building blocks exposed to the atmosphere is increasingly useful as the reagent volume is reduced by advances in liquid handling technology, such as acoustic droplet ejection.
authors.affiliation: Office of Educational Programs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, USA.
authors.forename: Bryan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.affiliation: Office of Educational Programs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Drozd
authors.affiliation: Office of Educational Programs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA York College of Pennsylvania, York, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Mary T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bollard
authors.affiliation: Office of Educational Programs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA Department of Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Laspina
authors.affiliation: Office of Educational Programs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA Ward Melville High School, Setauket-East Setauket, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Nikita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Podobedov
authors.affiliation: Office of Educational Programs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA St. Anthony's High School, Huntington Station, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zeniou
authors.affiliation: Office of Educational Programs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Anjali S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Energy Sciences Directorate, NSLS-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andi
authors.affiliation: Energy Sciences Directorate, NSLS-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jackimowicz
authors.affiliation: Energy Sciences Directorate, NSLS-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.affiliation: Energy Sciences Directorate, NSLS-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA Biosciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McSweeney
authors.affiliation: Energy Sciences Directorate, NSLS-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA soares@bnl.gov.
authors.forename: Alexei S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Soares
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D020811:Biomedical Technology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008834:Microclimate; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions
keywords: acoustic droplet ejection; chemistry; contamination; crystallization; dehydration; drug discovery; evaporation; liquid handling; microdroplets; solvents; synthesis