This is a question for people who do 96-well-plate autosampling,
which I am just getting started with.
For a variety of reasons, including solvent cost, I would like to
run library compounds using deuterated chloroform as the solvent.
However it would appear that the standard issue polypropylene plates
(which are compatible with DMSO) aren't so great with chloroform. They
may be better than the common alternative, polystyrene, but the
polypropylene plates seem to warp/swell and the chloroform vanishes at a
remarkable rate even with a cover over the plate. I would be happy to
hear about better alternatives which are compatible with automated sample
preparation. I have seen borosilicate glass inserts for deep well plates
(which need to be capped) and one type of Whatman deep well plate marketed
as being resistant to aggressive organic solvents, listing at about $25
per plate vs. $3 for polypropylene. Although that is still less than the
cost differential for deuterated chloroform vs. DMSO for a full plate, it
does seem rather a lot for a piece of disposable plastic. I haven't been
invited to any Tupperware parties real recently, but their stuff is
reusable and no longer burps!
Any advice or recommendations appreciated, Dave Vander Velde,
University of Kansas
Received on Tue May 11 2004 - 18:59:22 MST