BioAscent’s customer is a US-based biotech company. The customer was in the process of building their own internal screening library. They required a partner to aggregate, store and manage this collection.
The library would need to be plated and shipped internally and to external partners to enable several HTS campaigns per year.
Managing a screening library collection involves several challenges:
Quality control and integrity of the collection. The quality of the library dictates the result and overall success of the screen. Therefore, it was imperative that the compounds in the collection remained uncontaminated and that degradation over time was minimised.
Inventory management. With a large collection such as this, it is essential to maintain accurate records of the compounds, their locations, and quantities. This requires a robust inventory management system.
Automation. Large-scale automated liquid handling systems are required to process hundreds of thousands of compounds quickly and efficiently. These systems must be reliable and well-maintained.
Compound accessibility. Compounds need to be able to be retrieved quickly and accurately for follow up hit confirmation studies.
Compounds were delivered batch-wise to BioAscent in 2D Matrix tubes as solids. Each batch contained around 50,000 samples. BioAscent registered the compounds into our industry-standard Mosaic database before dissolution in DMSO.
The Matrix tubes containing the master stock were stored in our automated Large Size Store (LSS) under controlled temperature (at -20°C +/-3°C) and humidity (mass 0.4g/kg water in air). 2D Matrix tube storage technology facilitated automated rapid cherry picking of selected compounds where required. The use of split seal tube caps ensured that the Matrix tubes were never physically opened and exposed, ensuring excellent sample integrity.
In addition, random LCMS batch analysis was performed by BioAscent’s analytical chemistry team to ensure the integrity of each batch of compounds incorporated into the collection.
Plating workflows were designed to maximise the number of HTS campaigns which could be run from the library:
Using BioAscent’s HighRes Biosolutions Microstar, a set of acoustic-compatible mother plates containing 50 µL of each compound was produced from the master Matrix tubes.
On-demand assay-ready plates could be produced from the mother plates for each HTS run using the Beckman Echo 650 acoustic dispenser.
Intermediate acoustic plates were also produced from the mother plates containing larger volumes, providing enough compound to fund several HTS campaigns. This allows several campaigns to be run without having to return to and thaw the mother plate each time.
Additionally, using BioAscent’s liquid handling capabilities, a compound pooling strategy was implemented from the master Matrix tube collection enabling several copies of pooled plates to be created and stored at -20 °C until required. These pooled plates will be used for AS-MS screening.
BioAscent’s expert logistics team provided secure and rapid global shipping of the delivery plates to the customer’s selected partner for screening, giving the customer peace of mind that their compounds would arrive safely at the destination.
For the customer, working with BioAscent to manage their library afforded a variety of benefits:
Access to BioAscent’s extensive expertise in compound management. Our experts were on hand to assist with the design of optimal workflows and delivery plate layouts. BioAscent worked closely in collaboration with both the customer and their partners to deliver this.
Access to technologies. BioAscent’s state of the art facility and equipment meant access to cutting edge tools without the need for capital investment.
Comprehensive inventory management. All compounds were registered and tracked within BioAscent’s Mosaic database at every stage of the process. This provided the customer with confidence in the security and management of their compound library.
Flexibility. BioAscent’s automated liquid handlers could accommodate a range of plate layouts, reformatting etc. Auditable automated cherry-picking was performed from the 2D Matrix tube master stock, to allow for rapid, straight-forward follow up on hit compounds.
Secure compound storage. The BioAscent Automated Compound Store has three individually housed, environmentally controlled -20°C stores for compound solutions.
Dedicated support and communication. A dedicated account manager was assigned to the customer for smooth communication and responsiveness to customer needs.
Cost-effectiveness. Activity-based pricing ensured the customer paid only for the work performed, all while having the benefit of access to BioAscent’s expertise and state-of-the-art infrastructure. This exclusive offering from BioAscent maximises value for the customer, without the need for significant capital investment.
Overall, collaborating with BioAscent provided our customer with a cost-effective, efficient and reliable solution for the complete management of their HTS collection.
To find out more about Compound Management at BioAscent, click here.
