Work

A Practical Guide to Phage- and Robotics-assisted Near-continuous Evolution

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Robotics-accelerated Evolution techniques improve the reliability and speed of evolution using feedback control, improving the outcomes of protein and organism evolution experiments. In this article, we present a guide to setting up the hardware and software necessary to implement Phage- and Robotics-assisted Near-continuous Evolution (PRANCE). PRANCE combines fast phage-based molecular evolution with the ability to run hundreds of independent, feedback-controlled evolution experiments simultaneously. This paper will describe the hardware requirements and setup for PRANCE, including a liquid-handling instrument, a plate reader, auxiliary pumps, heaters, and 3D-printed containers. We describe how to configure the liquid handling robot to be compatible with Python-based open-source software. Finally, we provide suggestions for the first two experiments that can be conducted with a newly constructed PRANCE system that exercises its capabilities and validates that the system is ready to conduct multiplexed evolution. This guide is intended to serve as a handbook for navigating the considerable equipment setup associated with conducting robotics-accelerated evolution.

Source: Journal of Visualized Experiments

DOI: 10.3791/65974

Authors: Samir Aoudjane, Stefan Golas, Osaid Ather, Michael J. Hammerling, Erika DeBenedictis

Institutions: The Francis Crick Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Future House, Inc.

Language: English

Topic: Evolution and Genetic Dynamics

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Wellcome Trust, Francis Crick Institute, Cancer Research UK, Medical Research Council

Award: G811989445