Swift, sure sample supply

Launched at Drug Discovery Technology 2003 in Boston, Titian Software's Mosaic sample management software suite tracks compounds and reagents, and manages the processes that prepare them for drug screening.

Primary and secondary screening are highly complex and expensive procedures. Compounds and reagents need to be retrieved from disparate stores and then taken through numerous manual and automated processing stages such as weighing and liquid handling, before the screening assay can take place. Mosaic is a web-based software package that controls all of these activities. Put simply, Mosaic tells the chemist what they have, where it is and what needs to be done to it. By providing this comprehensive sample management with an easy-to-use interface, Mosaic can dramatically reduce errors, decrease sample usage, increase efficiency and speed up each iteration of the screening cycle.

Edmund Wilson, Titian's Technical Director said: 'With the launch of the full Mosaic system, Titian offers drug discovery companies a software solution that just didn't exist previously - the combination of inventory tracking, workflow management, sample ordering and integration of all robotic equipment involved in sample processing.'

Developed in consultation with, and to address the needs of, both major pharma and specialist biotech companies the full Mosaic system is a suite of co-operating software modules. Integration modules are available for robotic platforms from a variety of ven-dors and the system has interfaces to provide connec-tivity with existing IT systems.

Mosaic modules are available for:

• Sample ordering

• Automated storage and manual storage

• Weighing

• Flexible liquid handling

• Plate replication

Wilson continued: 'The various activities within the overall sample preparation process may take place in a single lab, across a site, or even on a number of geographically separate sites. A scientist can use Mosaic to browse an up-to-the-minute picture of the globally available sample inventory, submit an order for processing and track the progress of the order without leaving the laboratory. Within the fulfillment centre an operator is guided through the workflow steps necessary to satisfy the scientist's request, which might involve several automated or manual processes. At all times, Mosaic understands what needs to be done next and ensures that the request is satisfied swiftly and accurately.'

Titian has worked with major pharma and biotech companies in the UK, mainland Europe and the US.