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SAMI® Log File Sorting: SAMI® Tips and Tricks

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Question:
By default, all data generated on one reader during one SAMI run will be logged in one single ASCII text file. If this SAMI run includes different assays using the same reader, sorting the log file can be tedious. Is it possible to create one log file per assay type for plates using the same reader device in one single SAMI method?

Answer (by Christoph Krüll, Ph.D, Beckman Coulter):
This is possible. The following example is for a Biomek 2000 and a Molecular Devices SPECTRAmax reader.

Setup

Create a SAMI method as shown in Fig. 1; one compound plate is used to prepare two assay plates for two different enzyme assays. Insert a Modify Property icon into the method for every assay plate. Put this icon directly following the source icon. Properties such as Name and Barcode describe the plate and can be logged with the reader data. We use Modify Property to create a new property Enzyme for every assay plate. This property is set to "A" for every plate of type AssayA, to "B" for plates AssayB (Fig. 2). Schedule the method and run it once. This is necessary to be able to configure the data logger. Upon run time, every plate passes through the Modify Property step, the property Enzyme is created for all assay plates and then set to A or B.

Figure 1. SAMI Method Flowchart. Two assay plates (top) are generated out of one compound plate (left). Both plates are read in the SPECTRAmax. The Modify Property module (black arrow) is used to mark plates for sorting.

Figure 2. Modify Property configuration. Double click on the Modify Property icon in the SAMI method view (Fig.1). Configure the node to Action Set, define the name of a new Property (here Enzyme) and assign the Default Value "A." For the second assay plate (AssayB) set the Default Value to "B."

Data Logger

Within the data logger, we now want to configure two different reports. We will log the Enzyme property together with the reader data. The first report will only include data from plates with the property Enzyme set to A, the second report only those with Enzyme set to B. Effectively, plates are sorted by assay type. Open the Report configuration window as shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 3. Open report configuration. Select Schedule/Go… (1), click on Configure Consumers (2), select Logger (3), and click on Configure (4). This will open the Report configuration. (Click the image to enlarge for additional detail)

Proceed with the report configuration as shown in Fig. 4. If the Enzyme property does not show in Data Fields, you need to cancel out of the logger configuration, reschedule the method and run it once. If it still does not show up, close SAMI or shut down Windows* and restart your computer. This ensures that the new property Enzyme is included in your SAMI installation. Go through the steps described in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 again. The Enzyme property will now be included in all log files as shown in the Sample Output line in Fig. 4.

Figure 4. Report Configuration. Select the reader report, here “SMax” (1), choose the Filter tab (2) and unfold the Transport branch in Data Fields (3). Then select the Enzyme Property (4), click the "--> Add -->" button (5) and move the Enzyme entry in the Line Definition field to an appropriate position using the scroll buttons (6). Finally double click the Enzyme entry (7).

Set the Enzyme Property to Must be equal to: A as shown in Fig. 5. With this setting, only data from plates with the property Enzyme set to A will be logged in this particular report. Next, we want to save this report under a distinctive name, e.g. "SMax_AssayA.log" as shown in Fig. 6. Effectively only data from plates of type AssayA will be logged.

Figure 5. Configure Property 'Enzyme.' The double click on Enzymes as shown in Fig. 4, step (7) opens the Item Properties dialog. Set the Property to Must be equal to: and enter "A" as shown. Confirm with "OK."

Figure 6. Report configuration completed. To save this report under a specific name, select the Files tab and enter a name in the Filename selection; here we use the name SMax_AssayA.log.

For plates of type AssayB, we need to create a second report now. In the report configuration window (Figs. 4 and 6) select the SMax report in the Reports field on the left-hand side. Then click Export Report to save this report as a new template, for instance as "SMax_LogfileSorting.LRP." Import this report now by clicking on the Import Report button and selecting the SMax_LogfileSorting.LRP. Two lines Smax will now show in the Reports field. Select the bottom one, choose the Filter tab and go through the steps described in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 again. Set the "Item Properties" to "Must be equal to: B" (Fig. 5) and change the filename to "SMax_AssayB.log" (Fig. 6). For more than two different assays, import the template repeatedly and go through the last two steps for every log file.

Finally, confirm the configuration with "OK." It is important to close every window with OK now. All configurations will be stored within the method file during scheduling. Now run the method once and you will find two log files SMax_AssayA and SMax_AssayB in your default log file directory.

* All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Where applicable, the PCR process is covered by patents owned by Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., and F. Hoffmann-LaRoche, Ltd.

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