Automated solid-phase organic synthesis in micro-plate wells. Synthesis of N-(alkoxy-acyl)amino alcohols

Centrifugation Based Automated Synthesis Technologies

Centrifugation is a powerful method for solid-liquid separation. It can be applied in numerous ways to simplify solid phase synthetic procedures. At the same time, centrifugation is the only totally parallel technique which can be scaled up for processing volume or number of simultaneously run reactions, without the limitation of overpressure or vacuum-driven filtration-based systems. We have developed synthesizers based on the power of centrifugation — peptide and small organic molecule synthesizers utilizing cotton as the synthetic substrate and inclusion volume chemistry, synthesizers for automation of “tea bag” synthesis, and synthesizers based on “tilted plate centrifugation”. The last technique was employed in an oligonucleotide production facility with the capacity of more than 10 million compounds per year.

A New Approach to Automated Solid Phase Synthesis Based on Centrifugation of Tilted Plates

High throughput solid phase synthesis can be performed with application of the centrifugation based liquid removal. This technique uses readily available standard microtiterplates and eliminates filtration step. It is therefore applicable to simultaneous processing of unlimited number of reaction compartments. Its use is illustrated on the synthesis of an array of 380 tetrahydroisoquinolinones.

Simple tools for resin distribution

Two simple instruments allowing uniform distribution of resin beads for solid-phase synthesis are described. The first tool simplifies distribution of resin into microtiterplates. The second tool was designed for distribution of a variable amount of resin beads into any number of reaction vessels, and the technique is applicable to resin beads with a wide range of physical properties (density).

Search for optimal coupling reagent in multiple peptide synthesizer

Ten different coupling reagents and their combinations were tested in parallel in the synthesis of four model peptide sequences. Significant differences were found between uronium and phosphonium salt-based reagents and carbodiimide. Diisopropylcarbodiimide was identified as an optimal reagent based on the purity of the product, stability of the reagent, and convenience of handling on plate-based multiple parallel centrifugation synthesizer.

Fully Automated Parallel Oligonucleotide Synthesizer

Design and construction of automated synthesizers using the tilted plate centrifugation technology is described. Wash solutions and reagents common to all synthesized species are delivered automatically through a 96-channel distributor connected to a gear pump through two four-port selector valves. Building blocks and other specific reagents are delivered automatically through banks of solenoid valves, positioned over the individual wells of the microtiterplate. These instruments have the following capabilities: Parallel solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis in the wells of polypropylene microtiter plates, which are slightly tilted down towards the center of rotation, thus generating a pocket in each well, in which the solid support is collected during centrifugation, while the liquid is expelled from the wells. Eight microtiterplates are processed simultaneously, providing thus a synthesizer with a capacity of 768 parallel syntheses. The instruments are capable of unattended continuous operation, providing thus a capacity of over two millions 20-mer oligonucleotides in a year.

Semi-automated high throughput combinatorial solid-phase organic synthesis

A semi-automated technique for massive parallel solid-phase organic synthesis based on a "split only" strategy is described. Two different types of purpose-oriented reaction vessels are used. The initial steps are performed in domino blocks, and the resin-bound intermediates then split into wells of a micro plate for the last combinatorial step. The domino block is a reaction block for manual and semi-automatic parallel solid-phase organic synthesis that simplifies liquid exchange and integrates common synthetic steps. The synthesis in micro plates does not use any filter for separation of resin beads from the supernatant liquid, and allows high throughput parallel synthesis on solid phase to be performed. This technique, documented on examples of diverse disubstituted benzenes, includes the use of gaseous cleavage in the last synthetic step and allows the synthesis of thousands of compounds per day in mg quantities.

New technique for high-throughput synthesis

A new technique for high throughput solid phase synthesis using the centrifuge based liquid removal from readily available standard microtiterplates is described. This technique eliminates the filtration step and is therefore applicable to simultaneous processing of an unlimited number of reaction compartments. Its application is illustrated on the synthesis of an array of 380 tetrahydroisoquinolinones.

The domino blocks: a simple solution for parallel solid-phase organic synthesis

The domino block is a reaction block for manual and semi-automatic parallel solid-phase organic synthesis that simplifies liquid exchange and integrates common synthetic steps. The domino block consists of enclosed reaction vessels, polypropylene syringes, attached to a manifold that clamps the syringes and connects them to a common port. Liquid is removed from the closed reaction vessels by vacuum connected to the common port. The vacuum formed inside each reaction vessel is subsequently used to draw fresh solvent or reagent into each reaction vessel.