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Screening Technologies
Assay Automation Technology
in vitro Pharmacology and Biology
Automated Cell Culture
Structural Biology and Biophysics

This group utilizes advanced assay automation technology and microimaging techniques to determine the potency, selectivity and mechanism of action of molecules on discovery targets, to support structure activity relationship studies and to facilitate the development of high throughput screening assays.

Specific Functions:

•  Assay Design and Development
• HTS: assay optimization, miniaturization, automation, screening, hit confirmation
• Cell Imaging, High Content Screening
• Lab Automation and LIMS Support

Assay Automation Technology

• Screening Platform: Orca Core System; Acoustic Nanovolume Dispensing Unit; Hamilton Integrated Solution for Nano-volumes; Beckman Coulter Integrated Workstation 
• Workstations: Perkin Elmer Janus, PlateTrack, Evolution P3; Aurora FDR dispenser; Molecular Devices Aquamax DW4; Tecan Genesis
• Detectors: Perkin Elmer ViewLux, Fusion Alpha, Fusion HT, TopCount; Tecan Safire II; Beckman DTX; Aurora: tcPR
• Proprietary LIMS

 in vitro Pharmacology and Biology

The Institute has expertise in diverse scientific areas,including biochemistry, molecular pharmacology,in vivo pharmacology,and molecular genetics. Cutting edge technologies are employed to facilitate the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms and to select drugs with appropriate potency, selectivity and tolerability profiles.

 Assays include:

• Hepatocyte isolation and culture
• Drug transport assays
• Cytotoxicity & Genotoxicity Assays
• Customized Cell based and in vitro assays
• Biochemistry services
• Molecular Biology (cloning, mutagenesis, qPCR)
• Immunoassays
• Mechanism of Action Studies

Automated Cell Culture

Highly automated robotic workstations are used to improve the quality and availability of cellular reagents.These systems provide reagents for cell-based assays and are used to maintain multiple cell lines (20+) in support of diverse areas of research.

• Robotized Cell Culture - 106 to 1010 scale
• Cell banking
• Instrumentation
  • Select-1
  • Select-2
  • Cello
  • Integrated Beckman robotic workstation
  • Bioreactors: Fibrastage, MiniPerm

Structural Biology and Biophysics

• NMR Solution structure of proteins, peptides, nucleic acids
• Affinity and Kinetics of protein-ligand interaction
• Equipment: Bruker Avance NMR 600 cryo probe; NMR 400 & 500; Biacore 3000, Flexchip; CD; Calorimetry; LC-MS