CyBio and Axxam Develop a New System for High Throughput Screening

CyBio AG and Axxam SpA announce that they have developed, installed and fully validated a new state-of-the-art screening station to be used by Axxam in running hit discovery campaigns with automated luminescence and fluorescence screening systems.

CyBio AG is a worldwide leading life science company. As an innovative technology provider CyBio develops, produces and markets technology platforms for drug discovery. With more than 20 years of experience CyBio establishes new standards for precision, speed and engineering with its hardware, software and service products for the automation of drug screening processes.

Axxam SpA is a leading discovery company that offers early-stage discovery services, technologies and lead discovery programs for application in the life science industry. Core expertises are based on target-based screening approaches.

The new workstation, which will run in parallel to another CyBio workstation, is a customized, multi-functional automation platform that allows flexible adaptation to different assay conditions using high-density 384 plates. A central CyBi®-Well vario high parallel pipetting system unites two major working areas. Cooled storage system, peeler, sealer and plate heating stations frame the area for compound management. The screening area not only consists of a pipetting system, a dispenser, a washer, high-capacity stacking and incubation devices with lid handling options, but also of two readers, a FLIPRTETRA (Molecular Device) and a PHERAstarPlus (BMG Labtech). They can be used to acquire fluorescent or luminescent readouts, both in cell-based or biochemical assays. All modules are integrated by a Stäubli 6-axis robot and a KiNEDx 4-axis robot that ensure high speed and precision in plate transfers.

The system as a whole is controlled by the CyBio® Scheduler software that manages automatic parallelization of processes, consistent system utilization and time uniformity across screening.
This results in very high consistency in assay performance and in a throughput that ranges from 35,000 for long acquisition-time readings to 47,000 test points per day. Axxam will benefit from broader access to automated high throughput screening (uHTS) and will consolidate its leading position as an important discovery partner for target-based screening discovery programs.