High-Throughput Screening
Overview
The High-Throughput Screening (HTS) facility is a part of Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics and has the necessary infrastructure to conduct chemical libraries screenings of biological targets. It provides diverse screening instrumentation, compound libraries and expertise on high throughput screens and automation in support of collaborative, and user- or facility-driven screening projects. HTS works closely with Assay Development and High-Content Screening teams to help select and implement the most suitable biochemical or cellular assays for each project, including diverse plate-reader and imaging assays.
The Prebys Center has existing collaborations with a limited number of pharma and biotech organizations, along with several clinical hospitals, to develop small molecule therapeutics. We continue to seek potential additional partnerships of mutual benefit. These partnerships typically involve a portfolio of projects the Prebys Center drives (in collaboration with the partner) through the early stages of the drug discovery process (assay development through lead optimization to in vivo POC). Often we engage in a pilot project with the partner, which then evolves into a broader collaboration/”shared pipeline.” We are not currently engaging in fee-for-service activities.
Services
- Screening small-molecule compound libraries in 384- or 1536-well formats with various detection technologies (absorbance, fluorescence, luminescence, fluorescence polarization (FP), TR-FRET, AlphaScreen)
- Help with the use of automated instrumentation
- Preparation and handling of compound libraries for high throughput screening
- Consultation on high throughput screening approaches
- Conversion of cell-based and biochemical assays to high-throughput/automation compatible formats
- Screening data analysis and support for HTS hit follow-up studies
Equipment & Resources
- The High-throughput screening (HTS) system (HighRes Biosolutions)
A fully integrated automated screening system equipped with a Staubli TX90XL robotic arm, a 420-plate random-access carousel for storage of compound and assay plates, a 210-plate STX240 Liconic incubator for cell-based assays, two Velocity 11 VSpin centrifuges, a Perkin Elmer ViewLux multimode CCD based uHTS plate reader, a Pherastar FS plate reader, a Labcyte Echo 555 Acoustic Liquid Handler, a Nexus XPeel and Agilent PlateLoc for re-sealing plates, a BioTek EL406 plate washer, a high-speed 10-position HighRes pintool device with ultrasonic baths and four multidrop Combi dispensers. It enables fully automated large-scale screening of biological assays with various formats. - Biomek FX liquid handling systems with 96- and 384-well plate heads and Span8 arms
- Access™ Laboratory Workstation (Labcyte)
An automated compound-dispensing system including an Echo 555 Acoustic Liquid Handler, a precise automation robotic arm, four random-access 20-plate racks, a de-lid station, a Deerak GX Series low-volume bulk dispenser, a Agilent V-Spin centrifuge, a Nexus XPeel and a Agilent PlateLoc and controlled by Labcyte TEMPO automation control software. This system allows fully-automated multiplate small-volume dispense operations especially useful for dose-response tests of large number of compounds, e.g. cherry-pick confirmation of primary HTS hits. - Plate processing workstation (Agilent)
The workstation includes a PlateLoc sealer, Vcode barcode labeler, BenchCell 4x with four stackers and a Bravo liquid handler. - PerkinElmer Envision plate readers with 2 reagent injectors
- Kalypsys washer/dispenser system for rapid and precise dispensing and plate washing in 96, 384, 1536 formats
- Hamamatsu FDSS7000 rapid-kinetics fluorescence and luminescence plate reader with integrated 384-well liquid handling
- Stand-alone Instruments
- Labcyte Echo 555 Acoustic Liquid Handler
- BMG PherastarPlus plate reader
- Titertek Map-C plate washer
- BioTek plate washers (EL405, EL406)
- Molecular Devices M5 plate readers
- Multiple liquid bulk dispensers (Wellmate, Multidrop Combi)
Price List
For a Price List, please call (858) 646-3100 ext. 3465 or email us.
Leadership
Ian Pass, PhD
Facility Director
Contact
Please call (858) 646-3100 ext. 3465 or use the button below to send us an email.