New Liquid Handling Platform Reduces Assay Development Time and Improves Robustness in High Throughput Screening

TTP Labtech Ltd has announced the global commercial launch of its dragonfly® discovery liquid handling technology. The novel liquid handling technology has been developed to provide researchers with a standard platform whereby they can easily develop complex assays and screen them in a robust and cost efficient manner.

TTP Labtech have continued to collaborate closely with leading pharmaceutical companies on the further development of dragonfly discovery. With an aim to deeply understand the needs of the scientists involved in early stage drug discovery, TTP Labtech have worked together with their collaborators to develop an instrument that helps the scientists achieve their goal of reducing drug discovery cycle times. The platform enables rapid and reliable low volume (200 nL upwards) dispensing from a positive displacement disposable pipette (with 4 mL capacity), and 96,384 & 1,536 well compatibility, to allow assays to be developed directly in high density plate format using a common liquid handling platform. The combination of innovative technology and the incorporation of specific hardware and software features requested by collaborators ensures that dragonfly discovery not only significantly reduces assay development time, but also enables more seamless transition from assay development in to the screening phase. Additionally, it permits them to routinely deploy design of experiment (DoE) as part of assay development, particularly beneficial for complex cellular assays.

Joby Jenkins, Director – Product Strategy, TTP Labtech, commented: “We are extremely excited to be launching this innovative liquid handling technology to the market. Dragonfly discovery provides high speed, non-contact dispensing from a disposable, positive displacement tip, which will effectively enable researchers to reduce assay development time as well as improve assay robustness in HTS.”