BIOCIUS Life Sciences

Mike Biros of BIOCIUS Life Sciences will be presenting at the LRIG Bay Area event: Integrating New Automation Tools into the Laboratory Workflow.  www.LRIGBayarea.org

The event will be held on December 1st, at the Embassy Suites Hotels, South San Francisco, CA.

Mike’s presentation will be given at 6:20 p.m. and an abstract of the event is as follows:

“An integrated, automated system for high-throughput ADME sample analysis to enhance laboratory workflows”

Efficient and robust in vitro ADME assay screening is essential for early drug candidate optimization. Mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as the preferred method to address the multi-dimensional challenge toward compound selection on account of its sensitivity, selectivity, and label-free rationale. However, a daunting shortcoming of MS is its low throughput: Traditional MS approaches require time-consuming off-line sample preparation and liquid chromatography (LC) separation. In contrast, the RapidFire 300 draws on MS-based data quality without conceding speed and integrates easily into existing laboratory workflows. At its core, the RapidFire 300 platform consists of a fast, serial, solid-phase extraction (SPE) sample purification system, interfaced to an atmospheric phase ionization (API) MS.Automated sampling of analytes is achieved using a plate handler with a barcode scanner that can accommodate 96-well or 384-well plate formats. Samples are aspirated and delivered to an on-line SPE cartridge for purification Analytes of interest are retained on the cartridge, washed, and eluted. The eluted analytes are delivered to a triple quadrupole (QqQ) or time-of-flight (TOF) MS for ionization and mass detection. A single sample can be purified, delivered, and detected by the mass spectrometer in 6-10 seconds Intricate software communication between the RapidFire 300 sample preparation platform and the MS detection device complement their hardware features to render automated, unattended operation for up to 24 hours. Loading of a single protocol setup through a flexible user’s interface launches the screening of a series of sequences, each with separate customized plate maps, RapidFire analytical conditions and MS detection parameters, as dictated by the user’s initial input. Quantitative data analysis ensues automatically, with visually driven quality control steps. The enhanced automation of the RapidFire 300 and its integration with the downstream MS expand the range of in vitro ADME investigations supported by the technology. Not only does it apply to CYP 450 drug-drug interaction and induction studies, but it can also tackle assays that involve distinct methods for sequentially-fed sample series, such as metabolic stability, permeability (Caco-2, PAMPA), plasma protein binding, and solubility/lipophilicity. This novel automated SPE-MS technology integrates into the work flow of standard HTS laboratories streamlining and enabling an array of HTS and in vitro ADME studies. Thus, the RapidFire platform provides an innovative solution for label-free screening in high-throughput drug discovery and development applications.

Check out the event and post comments on the presentation below!