High-throughput preparation robotics to enable emerging large-scale plant genomics, metabolomics and proteomics research

Large-scale studies of plant genes, proteins and metabolites underpin efforts to select plants suitable for new environments and the conservation of ecosystems in the face of global change. A major bottleneck in these studies is the ability to grind and extract large numbers of plants in a way that does not alter the composition of the tissues. We propose the purchase of two robotic systems with associated software to track the samples that can grind, dispense and extract a large number of frozen plant tissues. The system will be complementary to later analytical infrastructure and provides an integrated pipeline from field to laboratory analysis of Australian plant biodiversity.