How to save time and increase throughput in protein translation studies
Anima Biotech is using its protein synthesis monitoring (PSM) platform to develop strategies across multiple therapeutic areas with high unmet needs, including fibrosis, respiratory syncytial virus, oncology and Huntington's disease. Principal PSM Technology Scientist Dr. Wissam Mansour explained: “Our work is focused on translation regulation, looking at small molecules that decrease or increase a target protein’s production. We use a proprietary technology that involves labeling tRNAs with a fluorescent tag, then transfecting signature pairs into the cells of interest. This allows us to visualize and monitor translation of the target protein by studying changes in the resulting FRET signals. By identifying compounds that modulate protein production, we can develop new strategies to help combat diseases that are hard to treat.”
Increased speed and higher throughput
The VIAFLO 96/384 handheld electronic pipette is the ideal solution for laboratories needing an affordable, compact and easy to use pipette that provides increased productivity. Dr. Mansour continued: “During the early stages of assay development, and later on in the hit validation and hit-to-lead phases, we work with small numbers of microplates. In the past, this was done manually using an 8 or 12 channel pipette, a tedious and time consuming process that required multiple transfers as it was not possible to fill 384 wells in one go. We wanted to increase our throughput, and so we invested in a VIAFLO 96/384. The VIAFLO 96/384 allows us to transfer samples and reagents into an entire 384 well plate in one step, reducing the preparation time per plate by 80 percent, increasing the throughput considerably.”
Improved accuracy and reproducibility
The VIAFLO 96/384’s ability to transfer 24, 96 and 384 samples in a single step not only increases the speed of plate preparation, it also significantly improves the reproducibility of pipetting compared to performing multiple manual transfers. “We use the VIAFLO 96/384 for a range of applications, including cell seeding, staining, immunofluorescence and CTG cytotoxicity assays, as well as compound transfers and dose response studies,” said Dr. Mansour. “The ability to process an entire plate in one go is particularly important for experiments such as cytotoxicity assays, where it is crucial to add the reagent to each well at the same time. The VIAFLO 96/384 has significantly improved the accuracy and reproducibility of our pipetting; there is no human hand that can manually pipette into a 384 well plate with the same accuracy.”
“We’ve had the VIAFLO 96/384 for about two and a half years now, and find it fast, robust and easy to operate. Changing the pipetting head is quick and easy, and programming the pipette is straightforward. It’s very user friendly, and a big help for our work,” concluded Dr. Mansour.
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