Drop setters

The primary motivation for using automated drop setters is to reduce the total amount of high purity protein needed for screening runs by dispensing protein/solution drops down to 100 nl or less. But as researchers investigate difficult to crystallize proteins, drop setters need to also support more complex workflows that include microseeding, creating additive screens, or LCP dispensing.

Drop setter options

Drop setter options, from left to right: Gryphon, Gryphon LCP, Phoenix DT, Phoenix HT.

We partner with Art Robbins Instruments (ARI) to provide drop setters that fit various throughput requirements. For high throughput situations we provide modified versions of the ARI Phoenix that include additional chimney wash stations for both the 96 transfer head and nano dispenser, as well as Peltier controlled chill blocks for protein samples. The Phoenix HT is ready for integration into a High Throughtput CrystalMation™ system, whereas the Phoenix DT offers the same additional features but is geared for use on a lab bench.

The Gryphon is a more compact version of the Phoenix that dispenses into one crystallization plate at the time. On the Gryphon LCP, the nano dispense head is replaced by a dedicated syringe based dispenser that can dispense LCP accurately down to 25 nl, making it a great choice for setting up plates for membrane protein crystallization.

Side-by-side comparison of functionality