In a full-genome RNAi screen, in essence thousands of individual experiments are done. Typically, each of these sits in a small well in one of the many 384-well microtiter plates necessary for the full screen.
Why 384-well plate format? One reason is cost savings.
Working in small volumes (as these plates require), the total amount of reagents and cell culture media needed to do the full-genome screen is much less. And subsequently, the screen costs less.
Many labs have gotten very good at finding additional routes to cost savings. Stretching grant dollars further and further. And perhaps with the hard economic times so prominent in the media these days, the issue has been on my mind recently.
So, "use less" is one straightforward way to save costs.
Another way? Dilute, dilute, dilute.
At the DRSC, we have recently been encouraging researchers to include tests of a minimal effective dilution--particularly of the readout reagents (antibodies, solutions, etc.)--as part of routine optimization for 384-well format. Even if the minimum you can get away with is a one-to-one dilution, that still means you've cut your costs for that step or reagent in half.
More ideas? Pipe(tte) up! Want to hear them.
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