EFFICIENCY IN PLANT BREEDING

OUR MISSION

We want to accelerate global plant breeding The breeding bottleneck caused by the constantly growing number of plants to be sampled is efficiently eliminated by SMARTtray®. So in addition to process safety the customers can also realize considerable efficiency effects:

01

Process safetyMinimizing mistakes due
to automation

02

Process costsReduction up to 67%

03

Time required per samplingReduction up to 90%

04

Space required per samplingReduction up to 90%

05

Staff requirementReduction up to 80%

06

FlexibilityMobile method

07

AutomationFully automatable barcode-
documented process

ABOUT SMARTTRAY

SMARTtray® is a technology developed by experienced plant breeders and scientists The SMARTtray® is a novel high-throughput technology used for the automated cultivation of plant progenies different crop species and subsequently tissue sampling for DNA extraction and the further molecular examinations, especially marker assisted selection (MAS). The technology allows a professional plant breeder to quickly eliminate sampling bottlenecks for molecular genetic analysis by increasing:

Process
reliability

Speed in the
breeding process

Selection
intensity

Genetic
gain

How does SMARTtray® work? The basic principle of SMARTtray® is the high troughput sampling of root tissue. To do this, plants are cultivated in a special 96-well SMARTtray® device. This device allows the plant roots to grow directly into individual containers on a 96-well sample plate. Afterwards the roots of all plants on the device are cut in one step with an integrated knife so that no further individual plant manipulations are necessary. The SMARTtray® Workflow ensures the succesfull cultivation of plants and contamination free handling of the SMARTtray® device.

WORKFLOW

  • LASER MATRIX

    SOWING

    Sowing in the SMARTtray® Cultivation containers in a signal supported manner. (Laser Matrix Scanner)

    Advantages
    • Whole process is supported & documented by the software
    • Process safety through barcode tracking
    • Incorrect assign­ment is avoided
    • Full automation possible
  • RACK SYSTEM

    GROWING

    Cultivation is conducted in a rack system with automatic irrigation and LED-illumination.

    Advantages
    • Space reduction due to a reduced format as well as vertical culti­vation
    • Individually adapted illumina­tion & irrigation parameters
  • CUTTING UNIT

    SAMPLING

    Sample roots are detached by a cutting machine. After partial root cutting, the gro­wing plate will be removed from the rest of the cultivation container.

    Advantages
    • Time savings
    • Cross contamina­tion-free cutting
    • Easy to use
  • CENTRIFUGE

    DEWATERING

    Removal of the Liquid which was present in the sample during the cultivation.

    Advantages
    • Time savings, as several plates are drained at the same time
    • PUNCHING UNIT

      PUNCHING

      Punches around cutting holes of the cutting plate are transferred into the interior of the respectively assigned sample blocks.

      Advantages
      • Risk of cross contamination of the samples can be further re­duced by pun­ching the annual sections
      • MARKER LAB

        MARKERANALYSIS

        A molecular biology laboratory analyzes DNA from root samples by marker assisted selection (MAS) for traits of interest.

        Advantages
        • Marker assisted selection (MAS) is a routine in a modern plant breeding com­pany
      • LASER MATRIX

        SELECTION

        Based on the DNA mar­ker results, the selected plants will be identified by a laser signal and removed for further cultivation

        Advantages
        • Software & hard­ware supported process
        • Process safety through barcode tracking
        • Visual guidance by laser signal
        • Fully automated process in the future

      CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS

      Conditioned container or hall SMARTtray® not only needs the device to develop to its full potential. We also provide a technological SMARTtray® cultivation and sampling unit that allows a perfectly coordinated cultivation process for rapid root growth, as well as an error-free data processing in special software.

      SMARTtray® cultivation
      • Cultivation unit with automatic irrigation and light recipes.
        They can be set up for the specific crops and are scalable.
      Sampling unit consisting of:
      • Laser unit (PC, barcode scanner and laser) to support sowing and selection.
      • Cutting machine
      • Dewatering station
      • Punching unit
      • Specific control and data software
      PERIPHERAL UNITS
      • Cutting machine
      • Dewatering station
      • Punching Unit
      • Laser unit with scoring and
        control software (sowing/
        picking software and hardware)
      GROW SYSTEM
      • Precise irrigation
      • Automatic control of growing
        conditions
      SENSORS
      • Temperature & humidity (rH, VPD)
      • Indoor light sensors
      • Outdoor spectrometer
      • Plant management including
        optional imaging & phenotyping
      CLIMATE
      • Precise climate control
          > Temperature +/- 1K
          > Humidity +/- 5%
      • Co2 enrichment
      • Surface/ air disenfection
      NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS
      • Single & multiple tank solutions
      • Water cleaning & fertilization
      • Specific fertilization of each racking
        level
      • Online nutrient measurement
      • Up to 15 (micro-) nutrients
      LIGHT SOLUTIONS
      • Spectrum 260-800 nm
      • Intensity up to 1500 µmol/m2/s
      • Sunlight simulation
      • Deep UV booster
      INTERIOR GROW LAYOUTS
      • Vertical systems
      • Rack systems