Dr. Xian Weng Jian uses the Opentrons OT-2 automated pipetting platform to create automated cell experiments at Cytera Cellworks.

Cytera Cellworks is a manufacturer of automated equipment that makes error-prone and time-consuming operations in cell culture such as media replenishment, passaging, and imaging ) become faster and more sterile. In this issue, we interviewed Dr. Xian Weng Jiang, the head of biology at Cytera, to share with you his experimental cases and OT- 2 How to help their laboratory automation.

OPENTRONS: Please describe your research background. XIAN WENG JIANG: I am a senior biologist who later entered the field of biotechnology and regenerative medicine. I have a PhD in Nanomedicine, working on the development of nanoparticles for cancer treatment. I worked for a while at a start-up company developing systems for blood diagnostics; I was the Research Director on their methods development and validation team. I came to Cytera in April this year, just when Cytera purchased OT-2.

OPENTRONS: What is the daily routine of your lab?XIAN WENG: We mainly run cell-based experiments that are comparable to manual experiments. We assess the metabolic status, growth, and expression of surface markers of cells. We manufacture cell culture automation equipment that is compatible with our customers' existing T-flasks and incubators. Ultimately, our goal is to automate every part of these experiments.

OPENTRONS: What exactly do you use the OT-2 for, and how does it fit into your workflow? XIAN WENG: Cytera makes automated cell culture systems that use the OT-2 when running experiments. We ran four different experiments using OT-2 to check our system and ensure there were no negative effects on the cells. No matter what kind of cells we enter, the results of these experiments are the same: we measure cell viability, cellular respiration, metabolic activity, and membrane integrity.

When we started working at Cytera, we had to run all of these same experiments manually. Repeating the experiment over and over again is a waste of time. We're a startup, so there's no point in doing the repetitive work manually when we already have OT-2.

The OT-2 is very convenient for me. The only manual step is to place the tube into the OT-2; I simply place the tube in and press "Start". It fits our workflow very well, and I see it as being no different than other Opentrons customers using the OT-2 for cell-based experiments.

OPENTRONS: How does your Opentrons automated pipetting platform feel like running? XIAN WENG: I had previously used liquid handling units based on gantry systems in other laboratories, so I anticipated what was going on when setting up the OT-2 system. Setting up the OT-2 robot is easy and straightforward.

OPENTRONS: Did you use other laboratory automation equipment before using the OT-2? XIAN WENG: Yes, I have designed, coded, used and built automation systems before. Specifically, I modified a benchtop 3-axis CNC router with a custom injection head connected to a high-precision syringe pump. We used it to perform ELISA-based experiments.

OPENTRONS: What other advantages or disadvantages do you think the OT-2 has? XIAN WENG: Our automation is not pipette-based, we have our own designed nozzles, so the way we use them is slightly different. But OT-2 makes it very easy to transfer the concept of protocols. I didn't need to get the protocol from the kit because the robot handles the sample exactly the same way you handle a pipette. Even the software is very intuitive and easy to get started with.

OPENTRONS: Do you plan additional automation?

XIAN WENG: From an application perspective, Opentrons is currently an open source system. Part of how we use it is manual, I have to move cells into the system. We hope that in the future, our system will be able to communicate with the OT-2 and reduce hands-on time by eliminating human intervention between the two systems. I foresee this being a fairly simple integration.

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