Assay development & optimisation

Avacta’s BAMS assay to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been launched as a research kit by its partner Adeptrix and the assay has been presented by Bruker Scientific, a mass spectrometer manufacturer, in a new application note. The bead-assisted mass spectrometry (BAMS) assay uses the Affimer reagents specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus to capture the […]

Stem Cell Differentiation By Dr Lilian Hook Stem cells are extraordinary cells, capable of both self-renewal and differentiation to mature somatic cells in vivo and in vitro (1,2). They have many features and advantages which could revolutionise drug development and healthcare applications. Stem cells offer a limitless, consistent supply of physiologically relevant cells from validated […]

15 July 2020 This is the company’s second site in the APAC region, headed by Masahiro Matsushita. The expansion follows long-standing partnerships with Japanese life science distributors. The move was motivated, in part, by growing biotech and healthcare markets in Japan. The increasing importance of the Japanese life science market and investment in valued techniques […]

Getting a handle on liquids: automation solutions for drug discovery By Helen Stewart-Miller and Thomas Hope The accurate and precise measurement of liquids and the transport of exact volumes between vessels, or from one instrument to another, are processes that constitute the very essence of research. However, while this simple requirement for the meticulous handling […]

Automating Automation – How close are we to Artificial Intelligence impact? By Dr Michael A. Tarselli, Dr Yohann Potier and Dr Alan E. Fletcher In terms of consistency, repeatability, known errors and sheer volume, there exists perhaps no better collection of data for computer learning than that emerging from automated processes. Many common lab procedures […]

How Advanced Automated Liquid Handling Systems are Reshaping Drug Discovery By Helen Stewart-Miller and Dr Richard Massey Winter 2018/19 Once the domain of high-throughput screening (HTS) applications, automated liquid handling systems are now used ubiquitously in drug discovery and have been fundamental in increasing throughput, driving efficiencies and improving standards of accuracy and reproducibility in […]

The Mass Spectrometry Innovations Simplifying Drug Discovery Workflows Helen Stewart-Miller and Dr Richard Massey Mass spectrometry (MS) has long been a valuable tool for drug discovery, and steady advances in its capabilities and performance have generated powerful insights for the pharmaceutical industry. The latest mass spectrometry innovations are now helping biotherapeutics developers overcome challenges around […]

Disruptive Approaches To Accelerate Drug Discovery and Development (Part 1) By Ibis Sanchez- Serrano, Dr Tom Pfeifer and Dr Rathnam Chaguturu This article is part 1 of 2, and covers tools, technologies and the core model of disruptive approaches to accelerate drug discovery and development. Tesla intends to implement and practise an ‘open source’ philosophy […]

Technology Innovation Will Help Prepare Drug Discovery for Smart Screening Era By Dr Clive Green and Dr Philip Spencer Drug discovery is undergoing a transformation powered by advances that magnitude more molecules and enable smarter selection of compounds. We are on the cusp of having previously unimaginable amounts of information about each target and many […]

Automated Liquid Handler Vendor vs Third Party Plastic Company by Dr John Comley Competing for the disposable pipette tip business. Users of automated liquid handlers today invariably have a choice – obtain disposable pipette tips from the original instrument vendor or purchase a ‘compatible’ product from a third party plastics manufacturer or lab supplier. Increasingly, […]