The Vanderbilt High-throughput Screening (VHTS) core facility uses leading-edge technologies and practices to guide basic research and pharmacological discovery investigators through the drug discovery process, from assay conception to lead compound identification. The VHTS facility provides training and full-service access to state-of-the-art HTS instrumentation, including tip-based and non-contact liquid handlers, robotic arms for plate handling and automation, multi-mode plate readers, kinetic plate readers/imaging, high-content imaging, and a high-throughput patch clamp. Staff can help with assay development (biochemical, cell-based, 3D cultures/organoids), distribution of compound/drug/RNAi/ORF libraries, compound management, screening, automation, data analyses, and informatics solutions. The VHTS houses over 350,000 diverse small molecules, including more than 2,200 human-tested drug candidates and FDA-approved drug sets. Staff can provide functional genomics screening services using a whole genome siRNA collection (18,100 genes) and ORFeome library (15,500 genes), and can do CRISPR-arrayed library screening. High-content imaging using their automated microscopy system allows for phenotypic assay development and discoveries.
The assay development and VHTS team is a group of expert staff responsible for developing and automating biological assays as well as conducting biochemical and cell-based high-throughput screens to identify new lead compounds that benefit both mechanistic studies and drug discovery/development. Working closely with research investigators, the HTS team strives to provide rapid, cost-effective assay development and chemical library screening. The team aids in instrument training/assistance, assay optimization, pilot screening, automation, data capture and analysis, full library screening, and screen validation.
The VHTS facility houses state-of-the-art liquid handlers and multi-mode plate readers that are compatible with a range of assay designs. Liquid handling capabilities allow for volume transfers ranging from 2.5 nanoliters to milliliters, in various combinations of fixed and random plate arrays. Instrument technologies include iterative scanning plate reading, kinetic imaging plate reading, high-content imaging, and scintillation counting. These technologies support a range of assay modes including fluorescence, luminescence, fluorescence polarization, time-resolved fluorescence, AlphaScreen, absorbance, fluorescence, and transmitted light microscopy and radiometric. The instrument may be used as part of a full-service model including staff support or you may be trained for independent use.
The VHTS houses a state-of-the-art automated compound management system (Brooks Universal Store) that provides environmentally controlled storage and on-demand access to the library compounds. The chemical library collection consists of chemically diverse screening libraries to smaller, targeted collections. Compounds can be dispensed into a variety of tube and plate formats to accommodate the research investigator’s needs.
The data management and informatics team is responsible for integrating automation and instrumentation with downstream data handling and reporting. They have developed a flexible plate-based analysis software platform enabling the storage, analysis and querying of experimental data including container-level sample tracking.
Joshua A. Bauer, Ph.D.
Director, High Throughput Screening Facility
Director, Functional Genomics Screening & High-Content Imaging
Name |
Role |
Phone |
|
Joshua Bauer, Ph.D. | Director | (615) 936-0640 | joshua.a.bauer@vanderbilt.edu |
David Baughman |
Lab Manager |
(615) 875-8741 |
|
Dehui (Debbie) Mi, Ph.D. |
Drug Discovery Scientist |
(615) 343-7476 |
dehui.mi@vanderbilt.edu |
Ping Li, Ph.D. |
Staff Scientist |
liangping.li@vanderbilt.edu |
|
Thomas Hasaka, Ph.D. |
Staff Scientist |
(615) 936-7985 |
thomas.p.hasaka@Vanderbilt.Edu |
Emily Days |
Data Curator and Analyst | emily.days@vanderbilt.edu |
Compound Management
Name |
Role |
Phone |
|
Corbin Whitwell |
Compound Management Specialist |
(615) 343-7730 |
|
Data Management and Informatics
Name |
Role |
Phone |
|
Chris Farmer, Ph.D. |
Software Architect, Sr Research Specialist |
(615) 875-8740 |
|
David Baughman |
Bioinformatics System Engineer |
(615) 875-8741 |
Hours Open Hours Staffed | Location |
24 hours for 9 am to 5 pm |
2222 Pierce Avenue |
Website: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/hts/
General Questions/Contact: hts@vanderbilt.edu
Directions: HTS Core - Google Maps
Name | Role | Phone | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|
David Baughman |
Lab Manager, HTS
|
(615) 875-8741
|
david.baughman@Vanderbilt.Edu
|
Robinson Research 824
|
Service list |
► HTS & HCIFG Instrument Consumables (1) | |||
Name | Description | Price | |
---|---|---|---|
Inst - Tip Box (Washed) Panoptic & Bravo | Inquire | ||
► Informatics Services (1) | |||
Name | Description | Price | |
Info - Custom Development | Inquire |