Agilent and A*STAR launch drug screening platform in Singapore
Agilent Technologies Inc and A*STAR's Experimental Therapeutics Center (ETC) announced the launch of a drugscreening platform within ETC's Singapore Screening Center. A*Star selected Agilent to provide a full spectrum of automation technologies to biomedical researchers, enabling highly efficient drug screening in one location.
The Singapore Screening Centre conducts high throughput screening to identify potential drug candidates against diseases, using a library of over 300,000 chemical compounds. It now employs Agilent's dual BioCel 1200 integrated system, which automates and coordinates the various processes of high throughput screening, including compound management, assay plate preparation and experiment replication, to ensure high-quality data while saving time and reducing the possibility of human error.
"The location of Agilent's technology platform within ETC's newly set up Singapore Screening Centre will not only enhance our ability to produce proprietary drugs for Singapore, but also provide a platform with which to engage a diversity of biomedical research players from across the world," said Dr Alex Matter, CEO of ETC. "We expect collaborations with top private sector partners such as Agilent will go a long way to accelerate the development of medical solutions."
The centerpiece of Agilent's BioCel System is a Direct Drive Robot (DDR) that provides significant advantages in speed and ease of use with its onetouch teaching and innovative design. The BioCel system is also customized specifically to ETC's requirements, linking the instruments to ETC's laboratory information management system so that the BioCel database and sample inventory are synchronized and up to date.
The new platform will boost ongoing drug discovery projects at the Singapore Screening Center, including a collaboration with Duke University and the National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School to screen for novel gastric cancer medicines; and another with DSO National Laboratories and A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore to discover anti-bacterial drugs using a novel whole animalscreening platform.
