High throughput Screening Facility

In general, The Prinses Maxima High throughput Screening Facility conduct and support the development, implementation, and analysis of high-throughput and time-consuming assays. All experiments are designed to enable accelerated identification and validation of new treatment options for childhood cancer, as well as the identification of key genes and proteins underlying disease processes.

The highly flexible HTS platform enables the performance of a variety of high-throughput assays (e.g., ELISA, cell viability, staining), screenings with various drug types (e.g., antibodies, siRNAs, or other chemicals), and readout methods (e.g., absorption-, luminescence-, or fluorescence-based detection). Readout using FACS and microscopy can be performed.

What we offer:

We offer a full-service model with:

• Assay development and validation – We can support the translation of research questions into assays suitable for high-throughput screening and that can be run on our system.
• Performing HTS experiments – Standard drug screens (see drug libraries) can be performed upon request. Furthermore, if available, we can provide support for in-house developed automated assays.
• Data analysis support – In addition to the raw data, we also provide standard data analysis reports for these drug screens. We are also working on expanding our support for other experiments.

In practice:

When a research group expresses interest in using HTS equipment within their research project, we organize a meeting with the person in question to discuss goals, feasibility, and mutual expectations. These discussions are formalized using a project intake form, which is requested for each screening experiment.
Once the project requirements are clear, the experiment planning can begin. The researcher can complete the form to express their preferences and requirements for the specific experiment. Each request is followed up by a member of our team to finalize the details and agree on a date for the experiment and any follow-up.

Communication and data delivery

Data is processed using existing pipelines, and the extent to which the HTS facility can support this is discussed in advance.
All data (raw and processed) are delivered to researchers.

Long-Term Data Storage

We typically retain raw and processed data for up to three months after sharing. After this period, we delete the data. The HTS facility is not responsible for long-term data storage.

Collaboration Requests

We will consider collaboration requests based on staff availability. Due to our team’s limited resources, these requests are considered at our discretion.

Equipment Overview

The HTS facility is a sophisticated robotic system containing 20 different laboratory instruments. The HTS team manages this complex system. It is available to all interested parties, although our focus is on facilitating cancer research.

Highlights include:

• Beckman Coulter Biomek i7 Hybrid Fluid Transfer Workstation.
• Echo 550 Fluid Handler for acoustic fluid handling for precise nL transfer volumes of (drug) solutions.
• Revvity Opera Phenix high-content imaging system.
• Automated version of the most commonly used lab equipment (e.g., incubator, centrifuge, sample heating/cooling, etc.).

Drug Libraries

We currently have the following libraries set up and ready for screening:

• PMC Core Library: A drug library with over 200 compounds specifically selected for pediatric oncology, based on current treatment regimens and clinical trials. • Immuno-oncology library (Cat. No. L2170)
• Epigenetic library (Cat. No. HY-L005)
• Metabolic library (Custom)
• Cell cycle – DNA damage library (Cat. No. HY-L004)
• Drug repurposing library (Cat. No. HY-L035)
• Anticancer metabolism library (Cat. No. HY-L083)