The way a liquid is transferred by a device is crucial for the accuracy and precision of an experiment. These parameters include, but are not limited to, the speed at which a liquid is aspirated and dispensed, the relative position of the tip in the well, and the way a liquid is mixed. The full list of parameters is long, and varies from device to device, based on the device’s capabilities.
In Synthace, we group these parameters in two:
a Liquid Policy is a Synthace concept and encompasses parameters that dictate how a liquid should be handled based on the specific experiment being conducted. It is a way for you to define the liquid handling behaviour you are trying to achieve, regardless of the device you are using. For example, you can create specific liquid policies that let you control tip reuse, multi-dispense limits, liquid level following, or mixing settings, such as the mixing volume or the number of mix cycles.
a Liquid Class will include the parameters that are more tightly linked to the physical properties of a liquid and the device, and are defined in the device itself. For example, in devices like the Tecan Evo, the Tecan Fluent, or the Hamilton Star, the flow speed for aspiration and dispense is set by the liquid class. Synthace must be aware of the liquid classes available in your device and you can call specific classes should you wish to. Note that not all devices have Liquid Classes.
Synthace will then look at the parameters set in a liquid policy and find the best liquid class that fulfils those criteria. This then allows the seamless switching between different devices. There are two types of liquid policies in Synthace:
System Liquid Policies, which can be found in the Liquid Policy Inventory, are default liquid policies that users can leverage for common liquid handling scenarios.
Custom Liquid Policies, on the other hand, can be flexibly set by users. This customization allows you to tailor the liquid handling behaviour according to the specific needs of your experiment.
The following documents provide further guidance on how to define and set liquid handling policies in Synthace: