Tutorial 7: Page 5, Sample Layout

In this tutorial, we learn more about using page 5 of the platemaker wizard. On this page the user controls how the plate samples are physically organised on the microtitre plate. This video particularly focuses on sub-plating areas. Up until now we have used large sub-plating areas that constitute more than half of the plate and so leave a left over space. In this tutorial we use a 3 column sub-plating area that fits nicely 4 times into the 12 columns of a 96 well plate. We learn how using such plate layouts can create the ability to create a multidimensional plate layout where sample repeats are laid out in rows while the drug time points and doses are laid out in columns.

We also examine how the plate containers, text maps and coloured plate maps can be excluded from the plate build. In relation to the coloured plate maps we explore how these can be used to more deeply understand how to optimise the plate layout and I provide an example of switching an ELISA assay experiment from sample triplicates to duplicates and the subsequent adjustments that are made to create a new experiment that uses fewer ELISA plates.

Finally we examine the new plate per experiment option and how this interacts with controls if you have elected to put them on only the first or last plate of the experiment.

Time Stamp	Topic
0:58	Entering Page 1 Information
5:29	Entering Page 2 Information
6:49	Entering Page 3 Information
7:20	Entering Page 4 Information
8:57	Creating a 2D independent variable plate layout
9:43	Using a small 3 column sub-plating area to create a 2D plate layout
11:28	Row sub-plating area without using leftover space
12:23	Row sub-plating area using leftover space
14:29	Using fewer time points in some compounds to make the samples fit
16:25	Using pause build to eliminate unwanted timepoints.
19:16	Filling the empty rows space with appropriate DMSO controls
23:52	Switching on/off various plating options
29:22	Using the coloured plate maps to guide your plating strategy
32:22	Using the space (#) character to make all controls locate in the control area space
33:31	New Plate per experiment option