RTS Life Science develops protein crystallography solution
One of the world\'s leading suppliers of automated sample management and drug delivery systems to the pharmaceutical industry has developed a solution aimed at streamlining protein crystallisation.
One of the world's leading suppliers of automated sample management and drug delivery systems to the pharmaceutical industry has developed a solution aimed at streamlining protein crystallisation.
The High throughput Structural Biology Factory (HTSB Factory) was developed by RTS Life Science for Takeda San Diego - Takeda Pharmaceutical Company's global centre for excellence in structure-based drug discovery.
The HTSB Factory uses an industrial robot to provide plate-handling services for multiple concurrent and independent liquid handling processes in a single platform, significantly reducing the capital investment by sharing the system resources common to each process. The system performs three processes: liquid handling for bulk pre-mixed (course screen) crystallisation solutions, preparation of custom (fine screen) crystallisation solutions and set up of sitting drop vapour diffusion protein crystallisation solutions.
The HTSB Factory allows for the production of commercial screens directly into crystal plates, removing the need for intermediate deep well plates. The system is supported by a software programme developed by RTS Life Science engineers.
John Palan, Director of Engineering at Takeda San Diego Inc, said: "The state-of-the-art technologies in the HTSB Factory will clearly continue to enhance Takeda's r&d pipeline. The system has achieved a high level of performance in the areas of quality, throughput and especially reliability. The most significant overall impact of the system has been to enable Takeda San Diego to continue to meet important structural biology and drug discovery goals as part of the Takeda r&d pipeline."
