Our Capabilities
Please select from any of the side-menu categories to see further details on what is available or CONTACT US for more information: In 2005, Scripps Florida created the Translation Research Institute (TRI), which has capabilities for several aspects of early-stage drug discovery, including Assay Development, including Cell Lines, HTS Campaigns, Compound Management, Cheminformatics and Instrumentation Development. Overview of Lead Identification Essential components of successful Lead Identification are summarized in the figure below. ![]() (Click Image to Enlarge) Lead Identification is a collaborative effort between biology, engineering, information technology, chemistry and pharmacology staff. The first step of Lead Identification is called “Assay Development” [Step 1]. Assay development starts with the nomination of a relevant “target” (for example, a kinase, G-protein coupled receptor, pathogenic bacterial strain) and the creation of an “assay” (experiment) that enables the testing of compounds for pharmacologic activity against that target. To maximize throughput and economy of a high-throughput screening (HTS) campaign, the assay is adapted to microtiter-plates and validated for HTS using specialized equipment. After completion of this step, the assay is considered “HTS-ready.” It is then mounted on our fully-automated screening platform, and the “HTS Campaign” begins [Step 2]. During the HTS campaign, each compound in our 600,000-member collection is screened against the target, with the ultimate goal of discovering compounds with pharmacologic activity against the target. All data emerging from HTS is uploaded to our corporate databases for further processing. Click on the following links (or use the side menu at the top of the page) to find out more details on our capabilities in each area: The overarching goal for Assay Development focuses on the timely delivery of robust and well validated assays to HTS Robotics. Our ability to clone, express and purify proteins, as well as to stably or transiently transfect cells from our own cell bank gives us the ability to design and develop new assays from scratch. We are not restricted to development of HTS assays for mammalian targets. Utilizing our dedicated microbiology facility we also focus on the discovery of novel antibacterials, antiparasitics and antifungals. ![]() (Click Image to Enlarge) The SRIMSC has procured over 120 cell lines which are available for access and use by Scripps (TSRI) faculty. These are available to support GPCR interrogation via beta-lactamase detection involving numerous pathways. If interested please contact us. ![]() (Click image to download the full list of available cell lines) The Lead Identification Division at Scripps Florida has set-up a state-of-the art HTS operation to support Scripps’ intramural HTS efforts and has expertise in adapting biological and biochemical bench-top assays into high-throughput screens. Lead ID has screened a large variety of targets using numerous different detection technologies and assay formats. A breakdown of public domain HTS campaign types by category can be found in the specific charts below: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() (Click Chart to Enlarge) To access a full table with individual breakdowns of the public domain campaigns run during that time frame, please click HERE. The Compound Management facility at Scripps Florida provides core functionality for the solubilization, cherry-picking, storage, reformatting, transfer and replication of compounds. These Compound Management processes are supported by laboratory automation which allows work to be performed in microtiter plate densities up to 1536-well format with transfer volumes as low as 500nL. Typically, these processes are utilized to support Medicinal Chemistry, HTS and Assay Development efforts for both in-house and external collaborator’s projects. Chemical series emerging from a successful HTS campaign can be analyzed and optimized at the Lead Identification facility through the use of computer-aided strategies. These include: (a) analysis of screening data to eliminate false positives and off-target activity, (b) prediction of physical and biological properties of small molecules to flag non-druglike functionalities and chemical reactivity, (c) molecular similarity and diversity searching, (d) Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) analysis and SAR by purchase from commercial libraries (> 5 million compounds), (e) virtual library enumeration of active lead compounds, and (f) design and custom synthesis of lead-candidates and novel analogs. The Plate Auditor (US Utility Patent US8644547) is a platform for the detection and classification of features found in different storage containers. It performs fully-automated, rapid (<1 min) measurements. Measurements are accomplished non-destructively and without contacting the sample or the sample container. The Plate Auditor platform can be customized to applications in life sciences, drug discovery and analytical chemistry. Figure 1: The Plate Auditor The Plate Auditor (Figure 1) has been designed specifically for compound management (CM) users in HTS labs. It has been customized to detect and classify artifacts found in compound storage containers, for example, HTS-compatible microplates. These artifacts include: (a) insufficient volume of compound, resulting from inaccurate/imprecise dispensing of compound by liquid handlers, (b) compound precipitation resulting from improper compound storage and/or dilution, and (c) colored compounds that interfere with HTS assay readout (see Figure 2). Figure 2: Sample Artifacts detected & classified by the Plate Auditor. Representative artifacts as seen in a 384-well microtiter plate: A) empty well, B) colored compound, C) bubbles, D) partially-filled well, E) precipitate and F) a "normal" filled well. The Plate Auditor platform consists of an HTS plate-reader and user-friendly software to initiate protocols and view results. The platform can be run in “stand-alone” mode. Optionally, it can be integrated with a robotic platform, or configured to automatically query & compare Plate Auditor analysis results to data stored in a LIMS or corporate database. For more information on the Plate Auditor or custom instrumentation development, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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