This workshop provides an overview of the Earlham Biofoundry platforms and workflows, which are accessible to researchers across the Norwich Research Park.
Please note: This workshop is prioritised for Norwich Bioscience Institutes (NBI) staff. Please email training@earlham.ac.uk if affiliated outside of the organisation.
The course will consist of a mixture of introductory lectures about automation platforms and Opentrons demonstrations of running and adapting protocols on the platforms.
We will introduce the Biofoundry team members, provide an introduction to automation and biofoundries as a way to scale research and to innovate, including advantages and disadvantages of automation. We will then give an overview of the different platforms and workflows, how to receive training, and how to access the equipment and services available at Biofoundry.
Sharing examples of automation protocols from a mixture of publications and use cases we will open up for general questions from the audience.
The next section of the workshop will focus on the Opentrons platforms (pictured above), including modules available, with a description of the app and resources used, we can guide you through the example steps to design a protocol for serial dilutions, followed by a demonstration of the Opentrons itself.
There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions throughout as well as a dedicated wrap up of the workshop to ask any remaining questions.
Who is this event for?
This course is for researchers in the experimental planning stages of a project that could benefit from automation. This workshop is open to students and PostDocs, other academic and industry researchers plus scientific staff with an interest in automation across Norwich Research Park.
What will I learn?
- An overview of automation for scalability and innovation, including advantages and disadvantages of automation
- How to access expertise and equipment, including training in the platforms and workflows available at EI’s Biofoundry
- The principles of protocol design on the Opentrons using an example of serial dilutions
- How to add labware and run protocols on the Opentrons
