High Throughput Screening Facility

Research Inst Of Fox Chase Can Ctr, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – SHARED RESOURCE: HIGH THROUGHPUT SCREENING FACILITY The High Throughput Screening Facility (HTSF) provides screening platforms and specialized instrumentation for increased experimental throughput to support the research of FCCC members. The HTSF provides the capability to perform hypothesis-generating discovery research with the major goal of generating insights that can be pre-clinically and clinically advanced. Beyond the context of screening, the HTSF works with individual investigators to perform assay development and execute specific projects requiring wet-bench capacity, which increasingly include correlate studies for FCCC clinical trials. In support of these functions, the HTSF provides access to specialized equipment, expertise, and direct services that enable investigators to address novel areas of translational research that would be difficult or impossible to pursue without the liquid handling, assay resources, reagents and experience of the HTSF. Specifically, the HTSF provides the liquid handling (CyBio- Well Vario, Matrix Wellmate, BioTek Precision XS, Tecan D300e), assay instrumentation platforms (Perkin Elmer Envision multilabel plate reader, Guava EasyCyte, ImageXpress Micro confocal automated imaging and analysis, BioPlex 100/200) and libraries (small molecule: ChemDiv Diverse, ICCB known Bioactives, Johns Hopkins Clinical Compound Collection, custom targeted collections; RNAi: Horizon Discovery whole genome and targeted subsets; and CRISPR: whole genome human and mouse KO libraries) to enable FCCC members to add these experimental approaches to their research programs. The HTSF has been directed by Golemis (CSM) for the past 15 years, and has one FTE, the Facility Manager Einarson (CSM), who has led day to day operations since facility’s inception in 2005. This team possess the expertise to support users via assay design, development and execution. From 2019-2023 (October) 41 FCCC members across all three Research Programs utilized the HTSF. In the 12 months ending 10/31/23, there were 23 users from all three research programs, with peer-review funded FCCC members logging 99% of the usage hours on instrumentation. Recent addition to the instrumentation in the HTSF includes the purchase of a dual wide-field confocal automated microscope (IXM-C, Molecular Devices) and Tecan D300e. Institutional investment in equipment since 2019 totaled $351,023. Additional institutional investments in compound and CRISPR libraries have further expanded capabilities. Specific aims of the HTSF are to provide professional support for the instrumentation and libraries necessary to perform high throughput screening, to enable investigators to utilize individual instruments for experimentation involving limited analytes/samples and multiplexed readouts, and to work one-on-one with FCCC members to develop assays to target cancer-relevant questions. Oversight of the HTSF is provided by a Facility Advisory Committee (FAC) that meets at least annually. Recommendations from the FAC are directed to a governing Facility Parent Oversight Committee that ensures that the HTSF continues to have resources necessary to provide the highest quality services for FCCC members.