Thermo-cycler for robotic liquid handling system

A method of preparing a biological sample using a robotic liquid handler having an automated thermo cycler including a lower temperature-controlled zone configured to control the temperature of a lower section of a first type of reaction vessel having a smaller volume than an upper section of the first type of reaction vessel;

• and an upper temperature-controlled zone configured to control the temperature of the larger-volume upper section of the first type of reaction vessel, the method comprising:
• amplifying, using the thermo cycler of the robotic liquid handler, a nucleic acid from the biological sample in a first volume of liquid in a first reaction vessel of a first type of reaction vessel including an upper section having a larger volume and a lower section having a smaller volume, wherein the first volume of liquid encompasses the smaller-volume lower section but not the larger-volume upper section of the first reaction vessel of the first type of reaction vessel;
• and
• isolating, using the robotic liquid handler, the amplified nucleic acid in a second volume of liquid in the first reaction vessel of the first type of reaction vessel, wherein the second volume of liquid encompasses the larger-volume upper section and the smaller-volume lower section of the reaction vessel.

A method of preparing a biological sample using a robotic liquid handler having an automated thermo cycler, the method comprising:

• amplifying, using the thermo cycler of the robotic liquid handler, a nucleic acid from the biological sample in a first volume of liquid in a first reaction vessel of a first type of reaction vessel including an upper section having a larger volume than a lower section of the first type of reaction vessel, wherein the first volume of liquid encompasses the smaller-volume lower section but not the larger-volume upper section of the first reaction vessel of the first type of reaction vessel;
• isolating, using the robotic liquid handler, the amplified nucleic acid in a second volume of liquid in the first reaction vessel of the first type of reaction vessel, wherein the second volume of liquid encompasses the larger-volume upper section and the smaller-volume lower section of the reaction vessel;
• adding double-stranded library fragments and oligo probes to the lower section of the reaction vessel;
• heating the lower section to a first temperature above ambient to denature the double-stranded library fragments into single-stranded library fragments;
• heating the upper section of the reaction vessel to a second temperature above the first temperature;
• reducing the first temperature to allow the oligo probes to bind to the single-stranded library fragments;
• and
• adding streptavidin beads to the reaction vessel such that a volume of liquid in the reaction vessel extends into the upper section of the reaction vessel.