Technology Development Studio (TDS)

MPI-CBG > Research > Scientific Cores & Support > Scientific Services > Technology Development Studio (TDS) > Services

The major goal of the High-Throughput Technology Development Studio (TDS) is to provide expertise in assay development towards high-throughput applications and high content screening services (HCS). To this end the HT-TDS has state-of-the-art technologies for cell-based screening such as robotic liquid handling stations, plate readers and several automated microscopes. The services include developing complex automated image analysis pipelines and multi-parametric analysis of high content imaging applications.

Expertise

Assay and technology development for high-content screening in 2D and 3D cellular models (lab automation, siRNA & CRISPR transfection, chemical screening, automated microscopy, live cell imaging, image analysis, data management, multi-parametric statistics), robotic liquid handling processes (rearraying of libraries, hit picking, normalisation)

Interests

  • Application of automated image-based screening at subcellular resolution
  • Analysis of kinetic parameters of biological processes in medium-throughput mode with live cell automated microscopy
  • Identification of new gene functions and phenotypes after depletion or knock-down
  • Identification of new chemical or biological entities that induce equivalent phenotypes
  • Using chemico-genomic approaches to discover mode of action of compounds (comparison RNAi / KO and chemical screens)

Technologies

  • Automated confocal microscopy
  • Automated widefield microscopy
  • Fluorescence emission
  • Fluorescence polarisation
  • HTRF (homogeneous time resolved fluorescence)
  • Alpha ELISA
  • Luminescence
  • Absorbance
  • Acoustic dispensing
  • Real time metabolism measurement
  • Electroporation
  • Automated liquid handling (contact and free dispense)

Service

Complete execution of high-throughput / high-content screening projects

  • Assay transfer (adaptation of the bench experiment to a screenable assay)
  • Automation
  • Validation
  • Screening

Provision of individual processes performed by TDS-staff:

  • Transfection 
  • Liquid handling for all sorts of applications (reformatting & replication of libraries, normalisation of products to identical concentrations, cherry/hit picking, preparation of dilution series, etc.)
  • Measurements in homogeneous solution with plate readers
  • Measurements in fixed or live cells or tissues with automated microscopes in 2D and 3D

Assay Development:

  • Assay design: full service cell-based high-content assay design and development using multi-parametric readout to tackle your specific biological questions
  • Assay optimisation: cost effective process optimisation for high-throughput screening, down-scaling, transfection optimisation, work-flow optimisation
  • Assay validation: validation of assays according to well-established standards
  • Image and statistical analysis
  • Development of image analysis solutions for imaging projects (low and high throughput microscopy)(CellProfiler, FIJI, Python, MotionTracker)
  • Development of statistical analysis solutions for biological questions (R, KNIME)

User Facility:

  • After an introduction and initial training, the TDS provides individuals with the opportunity to perform automated experiments or projects on their own with the instruments provided in the User Facility

Equipment

  • Flexible liquid handling work stations Fluent 1080  and Freedom Evo 200 (Tecan), Biomek FXp (Beckman)
  • Multilabel microtiter plate readers Envision (Perkin Elmer), Spark M20 and GENios Pro (Tecan)
  • Real time metabolism analysis SeahorseXFe96 (Agilent)
  • Acoustic dispensing Echo 550 (Labcyte)
  • Automated live cell confocal microscope CellVoyager CV7000 (Yokogawa)
  • Automated confocal microscope OPERA (Perkin Elmer)
  • Automated widefield microscope Operetta (Perkin Elmer)
  • Soon to be installed:  Cell Discoverer  (Zeiss)
  • Several washers, dispensers, plate shakers