Create Three-Dimensional Cell Culture with Corning® 1536-well Spheroid Microplates

High-throughput, Three-Dimensional Assay Development with Corning® 1536-well Spheroid Microplates and INTEGRA Biosciences’ VIAFLO 384 and VIAFILL Liquid Handlers

Hilary Sherman and Ann Rossi, Ph.D. Corning Incorporated, Life Sciences, Kennebunk, ME USA
Marc Hamel, Francesca Chang, INTEGRA Biosciences, Hudson, NH USA
 

It is becoming more apparent that 3D models often better recapitulate the in vivo cell environment than traditional 2D methodologies. Accordingly, more spheroid and other 3D models are being utilized for drug discovery. To meet the demands of most high-volume drug discovery programs, a high throughput system is essential. The Corning 1536-well spheroid microplate can generate 1536 uniform, single spheroids that can be assayed via imaging, fluorescence, or luminescence directly in the microplate. With a maximum volume of 14 µL per well, accurate liquid handling is essential to the generation of quality data.

Automation of seeding, dosing, and assaying spheroids

We have established an automated method for seeding, dosing, and assaying spheroids in a Corning 1536-well spheroid microplate format with the assistance of INTEGRA Biosciences’ liquid handling instruments. The VIAFILL is designed for rapid bulk liquid dispensing at volumes as low as 0.5 µL and can be fully automated with a plate stacker accessory. The VIAFLO 384 is a handheld electronic pipetting system which enables transfer into 24-, 96-, 384-, and 1536- well microplates in a fast, compact, and easy-to-use manner. Here we have demonstrated robust quality data for assay development and high throughput screens generated via this method.
 

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