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Case Study | EU-OPENSCREEN

Easy integration into existing robotic systems

Introducing EU Openscreen

EU-OPENSCREEN is the leading European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) for chemical biology and early-stage drug discovery. As a not-for-profit organization, EU-OPENSCREEN provides researchers with comprehensive support for chemical tool development, from assay development and high-throughput screening to the optimization of promising compounds.

With a vast, shared compound library known as the European Chemical Biology Library (ECBL), which houses over 100,000 compounds, EU-OPENSCREEN represents a vital resource for chemical biology researchers across Europe. The consortium also manages an open-access database and collaborates with more than 30 high-throughput screening, medicinal chemistry, and chemoproteomics facilities across eight European countries. These partnerships allow scientists to access state-of-the-art technologies and resources to propel their research forward.

Committed to enhancing Europe’s economic competitiveness and contributions to scientific innovation, EU-OPENSCREEN not only supports research across several branches of the life sciences, but they also provide a framework for the formation of new start-ups.

The challenge EU-OPENSCREEN faced

EU-OPENSCREEN is building the European Academic Compound Library, which includes compounds from chemists around the world who are interested in receiving information about the potential biological activities of their submitted compounds. As part of EU-OPENSCREEN’s open compound sharing initiative, chemists can make their compounds available, in a regulated and transparent framework, to a wider community of biologists, who test these compounds in suitable bioassays. Compounds that arrive at the Central Compound Management Facility of EU-OPENSCREEN need to be reformatted to put them into ready plates using their existing Hamilton robotic liquid handler system.  As the submitted compounds are part of the EACL, a jointly used and sustainable resource, larger quantities (5-10mg) of each compound are requested from chemists. EU-OPENSCREEN faced the challenge of efficiently managing and storing these larger volumes of chemical compounds sent by chemists from across Europe and overseas. They required a reliable and space-saving solution that is compatible with their existing Hamilton robotic liquid handler system.

The solution?

EU-OPENSCREEN chose Micronic sample storage tubes supplied by NBS Scientific for their innovative design and compatibility. Specifically, they utilized Micronic 6ml sample storage tubes in a 24-well format, which seamlessly integrated into their Hamilton robotic liquid handler. This integration allowed for the efficient handling, storage, and processing of chemical compounds submitted by the external chemists.

Implementation

  • Integration with robotic systems: EU-OPENSCREEN send the Micronics tubes to all Chemist over Europe and overseas. Compounds arrive to CCMF and are reformatted using capper-decapper systems already built in the Hamilton robotic liquid handler.
  • Reformatting: 24-rack Micronic tubes with compounds are filled with the required volume of solvent and thoroughly mixed with a built-in shaker. The solubilized compounds are transferred to a 96-tube rack using the capper–decapper and the robotic arms to transfer the compounds before reformatted to 384-well plates.
  • Storage and sorting: Compounds already in ready plates are sent to official partner sites of EU-OPENSCREEN for the bioprofiling assays. All compounds are stored at -20C in an automated tube store at the CCMF on Campus Buch Berlin.
Micronic-HT700

Results

The use of Micronic sample storage tubes provided several key benefits to EU-OPENSCREEN:

  • Space efficiency: The 24-well format offered a compact and organized storage solution, saving valuable space in their laboratory.
  • Operational efficiency: Integration with the Hamilton robotic liquid handler streamlined the handling and processing of compounds, reducing manual intervention and improving accuracy.
  • Enhanced collaboration: Having a streamlined submission procedure to EU-OPENSCREEN’s European Academic Compound Library (EACL) enables chemists to discover new bioactivities of their submitted compounds in bioassays from other biologists, thereby promoting collaboration and innovation across Europe.

Conclusion

EU-OPENSCREEN’s successful integration of Micronic sample storage tubes supplied by NBS Scientific highlights the product’s quality, versatility, and compatibility with advanced robotic systems. This collaboration not only improved EU-OPENSCREEN’s operational efficiency but also contributed to their mission of advancing chemical biology and early drug discovery.

If are interested in learning more about EU-OPENSCREEN, visit their https://www.eu-openscreen.eu/

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