Tecan and ForteBio Automate Label-Free Assays for Bioprocess and Drug Discovery Applications

Tecan has become ForteBio’s preferred automation partner for real-time, label-free assays to support bioprocess and drug discovery workflows. The two companies have worked together to integrate the new ForteBio Octet® 384 platform, consisting of the Octet RED384 and the Octet QK384, on Tecan’s Freedom EVO® liquid handling workstation. The result is a robust, off-the-shelf integration that offers increased walkaway time and optional liquid handling for assay plate set-up.

Tecan has designed a Freedom EVO deck extension plate to mount the Octet 384 instrument securely on the right hand side of the workstation. A robotic manipulator arm performs automated transport and handling of plates and sensor trays, and an 8-channel liquid handling arm with fixed or disposable tips is used to prepare assay plates. A MultiChannel Arm™ (MCA), with a 384- or 96-channel pipetting head, can also be specified for higher throughput applications. Kevin Moore, Tecan’s Director of Market and Application Management for BioPharma, said: “We are very pleased to be working with ForteBio to bring an automation solution to customers in this fast growing area of label-free detection.”

ForteBio’s Octet platform enables reliable high throughput measurements for protein-protein, protein-peptide, protein-small molecule and fragment screening assays, using the innovative Dip and Read™ biosensors. The Octet systems use proprietary biolayer interferometry (BLI) to provide real-time, label-free analysis of biomolecular interactions. “We are delighted to partner with Tecan, enabling Octet customers to process batches of assay plates and automate sample handling for Dip and Read biosensor assays, allowing greater throughput and increased efficiency,” concluded Christopher Silva, ForteBio’s Vice President of Marketing.