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Define liquids

Dilute your liquids

Simulate the workflow

Preview the execution

Optional Parameters for Dilute

Check your work

Challenges

Read the introduction to this series of tutorials. For more information, click here.

Create a workflow in the builder. To learn how, click here.

Rename the workflow Core elements tutorial 3.1. To learn how, click here.

Select the device on which you want to run your workflow. To learn how, click here.

Select a default plate type. To learn how, click here.

First, you must define the liquids required for the dilution process. These are the liquids you intend to dilute and a diluent. To define the liquids, provide names, concentrations, and a liquid policy. Volume and Labware location can be provided if you already have this information, otherwise it will be automatically generated. For detailed instructions on defining liquids see here.

Open the Elements menu and search for Define Liquids And Plates.

Click on the element tile to add an instance of this element to your canvas.

Click on the element to highlight it. This will open the Parameters panel for this specific element instance.

In the Parameters panel select Table Editor in the Define From parameter, then click on Add Spreadsheet to open the table editor.

You can define liquids by filling in the table. Here we have defined three liquids with Liquid Names, Concentrations and Concentration Units. Each liquid has been tagged with the Tag Substrate. Once you have defined the liquids, click Done in the bottom right-hand corner.

For clarity, re-name the Define Liquids and Plates element to Define Substrate in the Instance Name field.

Tip: Renaming element instances is an easy way to make your workflows more readable for other users. It also helps you differentiate between multiple instances of the same element within a workflow.

In this workflow, the volume and plate type are not described in the liquid definition, therefore these liquids will be automatically assigned to labware specified in the Workflow Settings > Input Plate Types area. Liquid volumes will be automatically calculated to satisfy the volume required by the workflow.

Repeat this process to define the liquid you intend to use as a diluent.

Rename the second instance of Define Liquids and Plates to Define Diluent.

Click on the Dilute element to display the element parameters for this instance.

Under Global Options specify the Dilution Location as New Plate.

Set the Dilution Mode to Serial.

Set Describe Dilutions to By Factor.

Connect the Liquids output from Define Substrates to Liquids to Dilute.

Connect the Liquids output from Define Diluent to Diluent.

Specify the Diluent To Use Per Liquid parameter. In this case, we want to use the water we defined in Define Diluent for all our substrates.

Note: Rather than specifying Water and the Diluent for all 3 substrates, use default to apply the same diluent to all our Liquids to Dilute.

Note: if you wish to override the liquid policy of the diluted liquids you can do so here.

Define the Target Final Volume, Dilution Factor and Dilution Number.

Note: Here we have chosen to switch off the toggle switch to Keep Dilution Volumes Constant. If this was switched on then the final volume of each of the intermediate dilutions in our dilution series would be 100 ul.

Define the number of replicates for the dilution series.

Select Let Synthace Optimize from the dropdown menu for Layout and Replicate Grouping.

Define a Plate Set Name. This can be any alphanumeric name such as dilution_plate.

Select a Plate Type from your plate library. Take care to ensure the plate type you select can accommodate the target volume for your dilution.

Check that the device that you selected can follow the instructions that you prepared. To learn how, click here.

After you simulate the workflow, click View Simulation to open the simulation details.

Open the Preview tab, then click through the steps to check that the instructions that Synthace has generated are correct.

You will see an input plate containing your defined samples and well containing the volume of diluent required to perform the serial dilutions. The neat samples and diluent are then added to the output plate. Each sample is then serially diluted the defined number of times, by the desired dilution factor.

In addition to performing the specified dilution series into the new plate Synthace can add the undiluted starting liquid and the diluent to the new plate. This behaviour is controlled with the Include Source Liquids and Include Zero Concentration toggles.

Enter the Plate Editor Window to do this by clicking on Edit Plate Contents.

Select the wells you would like to use in the plate overview shown, and click "Assign Liquid".

Select the Locations Selected on the right-hand side of the window, specify the liquids you would like to add to these wells, in this case, default and select the Well Iteration Order from the drop-down As Selected.

You can now re-simulate your workflow. How has the plate layout changed? Was this what you expected and how might you control this behaviour further. If you wish you can use the Edit Plate Contents editor to explore the different options available in Replicate and Dilution Grouping and the Well Iteration Order. Notice how these impact the execution time and multi-channelling behaviour in the simulation preview.

This task will require you to describe the preferred wells you would like Synthace to use.

Enter the Plate Content Editor to do this by clicking on Edit Plate Contents.

Select the wells you would like to use in the plate overview shown.

Select the Locations Selected on the right-hand side of the window, specify the liquids you would like to add to these wells, in this case, default and select the Well Iteration Pattern from the drop-down As Selected and Well Iteration Order from the drop-down As Selected.

You can now re-simulate your workflow. How has the plate layout changed? Was this what you expected and how might you control this behaviour further. If you wish you can use the Edit Plate Contents editor to explore the different options available in Replicate and Dilution Grouping and the Well Iteration Order. Notice how these impact the execution time and multi-channelling behaviour in the simulation preview.