ILASS frequently asked questions for the Illumina Protein Prep Automation System (IPPAS)

How does ILASS for Illumina Protein Prep differ from ILASS used for microarrays?

• Both microarrays and Illumina Protein Prep use ILASS software for integrated management of multiple automation robots and wet lab services. The software operates as the primary on-instrument software for the liquid handling automation instruments.

• The IPPAS uses the Illumina Protein Prep Assay ILASS Module. This module also uses one installer that includes all drivers and software components except the Fluent Control software and automation scripts that are installed on the IPPAS control computer by the FAS.

Can customers install, upgrade, uninstall, or reinstall ILASS?

• No, only authorized Illumina field service personnel are permitted to perform the ILASS installation procedures.

• Anytime ILASS is updated or reinstalled for any reason on a Tecan, doing so may affect some or all previously installed Fluent Control scripts. The reinstallation can overwrite existing scripts and their related parameters (for example, liquid classes, labware, robot vectors) that use the same name.

Is it possible to switch user accounts in ILASS mid-script?

Yes, ILASS allows the user to switch to another user account at any point during a run and maintain the place in the workflow. However, ILASS will not allow the user to sign out completely, as there must be an operator logged in to complete the script actions. Once the script is initiated, the script will proceed (not abort) even if the user changes mid-script.

Can a user change the settings so ILASS does not time out after 10 minutes?

No, this is not an available setting in ILASS.

Does ILASS limit the usage of expired reagents?

No, ILASS is unable to cross-list the lot numbers entered or scanned into the software with a database that contains expiration dates. However, lot numbers are written to log files, allowing for lot expiration investigation by Illumina Support during troubleshooting.

Where are the Output files from each script found (which are often required as input for the subsequent script)?

By default, ILASS output files are saved to the following location:

C:\OutputFiles

The output file sometimes adds extra numbers to the sampleID of calibrators, blanks, QC and some samples. Why does this happen and can this be prevented?

• There is an ILASS setting that does this, that can be turned on or off. All IDs must be unique for an analysis, so these unique IDs prevent the upload of two files with the same ID (eg, “Blank01”) to BaseSpace, if using a template.

• If two samples are uploaded to BaseSpace with the same sampleID, it will present a warning that says the IDs must be unique. However, if this is ignored, it will overwrite the first sample, that information will be lost, and the first sample will not be considered during analysis.

For any feedback or questions regarding this article (Illumina Knowledge Article #9788), contact Illumina Technical Support [email protected].