Containers and Content

Containers and content are separate concepts.

A Minimal Container

let target = tube(label = "Target", capacity = 100uL);

This creates a logical tube container. The label is human-readable metadata. The capacity is a volume bound.

Container Families

Culsma includes these constructor families:

Constructor	Meaning
container(...)	Generic container constructor.
tube(...)	Tube-like container.
well(...)	Plate-well container.
chamber(...)	Chamber-like container.
surface(...)	Surface-like target; volume capacity is not allowed.

Common container arguments:

Argument	Meaning
spec	Container specification text.
carrier_kind	Carrier type, such as plate context.
carrier_id	Carrier identifier.
carrier_position	Position inside a carrier.
capacity	Volume capacity, except for surface(...).
open	Open/closed state flag.
label	Human-readable label.
barcode	Barcode or stable external identifier.
load	Initial content load list.

tube(...), well(...), chamber(...), and surface(...) inject their container kind implicitly. Authors normally do not write kind when using those sugar forms.

Initial Load

let source = tube(
    label = "Source",
    capacity = 100uL,
    load = [content(kind = formulation, type = buffer, code = "BUF01", attrs = { role: wash }):10uL]
);

The load list belongs to the constructor/init boundary. Each item must be a content spec paired with a quantity:

load = [content_spec:quantity]

The quantity must carry a physical unit. Load quantities use volume or mass.

Content Specs

Content describes material identity. It is not the container holding the material.

Canonical content constructor:

Constructor	Meaning
content(kind = ..., type = ..., ...)	Content form; kind and type are explicit.

Compatibility sugar forms such as blood(...), reagent(...), and buffer(...) are accepted for older source. New example protocols should use content(...) directly.

Common content arguments:

Argument	Meaning
kind	Broad material family; required only for content(...).
type	Canonical material type token for the selected kind.
code	Stable content identifier.
name	Human-readable content name.
attrs	Structured metadata record, for details such as role or state.

Kind and Type

kind is the broad material family. type is the material refinement inside that family.

kind	Canonical type values
bio_entity	organism, organ, tissue, other_bio_entity
bio_fluid	whole_blood, plasma, serum, buffy_coat, urine, saliva, lymph, cerebrospinal_fluid, tears, semen, ascites, synovial_fluid, bronchoalveolar_lavage_fluid, other_body_fluid
bio_cellular	cell_line, primary_cells, cell_population, microbial_cells, other_cellular_material
bio_subcellular	organelle, membrane, vesicle, cytoskeletal_structure, other_subcellular_structure
bio_molecule_or_virus	dna, rna, protein, virus, other_biomolecule_or_virus
chemical	organic_compound, inorganic_compound, solvent, detergent, dye, other_chemical
particulate	beads, resin, particle, other_particulate
formulation	medium, buffer, supplement, master_mix, gradient_medium, other_formulation

Common examples:

content(kind = formulation, type = buffer, code = "BUF01", attrs = { role: wash })
content(kind = bio_molecule_or_virus, type = dna, code = "DNA01", attrs = { role: template })
content(kind = chemical, type = solvent, code = "WATER")

For local or uncommon material names, keep kind and type canonical and put the local detail in name, code, or attrs. The attrs value is a record literal, for example { role: wash, state: ready }:

content(
    kind = bio_fluid,
    type = other_body_fluid,
    code = "AF01",
    name = "amniotic fluid"
)

Older custom_... or unknown type strings are accepted in compatibility mode with a warning. New source should use the canonical other_* type for the selected kind instead.

Authoring Rule

Content specs appear inside a container load=[...] initializer.

Recommended:

let source = tube(
    load = [content(kind = formulation, type = buffer, code = "BUF01", attrs = { role: wash }):10uL]
);

Not recommended as source authoring:

let b = content(kind = formulation, type = buffer, code = "BUF01", attrs = { role: wash });
content(kind = formulation, type = buffer, code = "BUF01", attrs = { role: wash });

Constructor/init lowering targets such as DefineContent(...) and LoadContent(...) are not normal source authoring forms.

After Initialization

After the protocol starts executing, content moves through containers with operations such as transfer:

target << [source:5uL];