PaR-PaR Laboratory Automation Platform

Journal Article · Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/sb300075t· OSTI ID:1211211

Linshiz, G; Stawski, N; Poust, S; Bi, CH; Keasling, JD; Hilson, NJ

Labor-intensive multistep biological tasks, such as the construction and cloning of DNA molecules, are prime candidates for laboratory automation. Flexible and biology-friendly operation of robotic equipment is key to its successful integration in biological laboratories, and the efforts required to operate a robot must be much smaller than the alternative manual lab work. To achieve these goals, a simple high-level biology-friendly robot programming language is needed. We have developed and experimentally validated such a language: Programming a Robot (PaR-PaR). The syntax and compiler for the language are based on computer science principles and a deep understanding of biological workflows. PaR-PaR allows researchers to use liquid-handling robots effectively, enabling experiments that would not have been considered previously. After minimal training, a biologist can independently write complicated protocols for a robot within an hour. Adoption of PaR-PaR as a standard cross-platform language would enable hand-written or software-generated robotic protocols to be shared across laboratories.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-0000206-1577
• OSTI ID: 1211211
• Journal Information: ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY, Vol. 2, Issue 5; ISSN 2161-5063
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English