Patent ID: 8293520

Claim:
A method for selecting animal cell colonies producing post-translationally modified proteins using an apparatus comprising machine vision, the method comprising: a) placing a sample container including a plurality of animal cell colonies producing post-translationally modified proteins held in a medium onto the apparatus; b) contacting the animal cell colonies with labeled lectin; c) identifying locations of animal cell colonies in the sample container producing post-translationally modified proteins using machine vision and image processing; d) selecting one or more of the animal cell colonies based on their production of post-translationally modified proteins; e) providing a picking head comprising at least one hollow pin, the picking head being movable over the apparatus using positioning motors; f) aligning the picking head, wherein the picking head includes a hollow pin, and wherein said one animal cell colony to be picked has a size smaller than an inside diameter of said hollow pin with the sample container; g) picking one of the selected animal cell colonies by aligning one of the at least one hollow pins with one of the animal cell colony locations, introducing a distal end of said hollow pin into the medium, and aspirating the animal cell colony at that location into said hollow pin, wherein said animal cell colony to be picked has a size smaller than an inside diameter of said hollow pin; h) placing a dispensing container onto the apparatus; and i) dispensing the picked animal cell colony by aligning the picking head with the dispensing container and expelling the picked animal cell colony into the dispensing container.