Popelka

preparation of phenotyping studies

"Preparing thousands of seed samples for our experiment was a nightmare. We dreamed of a system that could handle this task, however, there was no such thing. That is why we developed Popelka (meaning Cinderella in Czech)."

Pavel Mazura, Head of Research

PICKING UP

a small seed from a prepared dispenser

CHECKING

whether the seed was picked up

PLACING

seed in a designated position

OUR CONTRIBUTION

Handling small seeds is a very difficult and monotonous task for laboratory technicians. That is why we developed Popelka, a robotic system designed to prepare complete samples for phenotyping studies in the form of microtiter plates. The tested device is currently patent pending. With our commercial partner, we adjust the system to the needs of the market.

Main benefits

The autonomous system for seed handling can replace up to 4 laboratory technicians at the workplace
It pipettes nutrient media, checks if the seed was picked up and places it in a given position on a microtiter plate according to programmable interface
It works with standard laboratory consumables – bowls, plates, test tubes or pots, according to the needs of given workplace
The system was built and tested for more than half a year within the PoC TA ČR GAMA project

Technical details

Seed size: 0.1 mm - 3 mm
Speed: min. 400 seeds / hour 18,720 seeds / day
Optical monitoring of every seed's collection
Reliability up to 98%

the purpose of Popelka

Testing of plant varieties, agrochemicals and stressors influencing plant growth requires advanced methods of plant phenotyping. The preparation of complex samples involves precise handling of liquids and the transfer of individual (often very small) seeds. In addition, sample preparation requires a sterile environment to avoid contamination with plant pathogens. Our device can be used as part of a phenotyping line or as a separate machine. The technology offers precise handling of seeds (tested on Arabidopsis thaliana seeds). The target culture vessel can be for example petri dish, test tube, microtiter plate. Liquids can be dispensed at any step of sample preparation, or they can be taken for chemical analysis after cultivation. The device can also be used to manipulate other small objects.

are you interested in Popelka?

The device is ready for production at our external partner. Contact us here for more details on price and delivery dates.

CONTACT us

Ing. Filip Auinger

Vědeckotechnický park, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, Šlechtitelů 21, 783 71 Olomouc

filip.auinger@upol.cz, +420 734 265 043, www.vtpup.cz

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