Vanderbilt High Throughput Screening Core Group (VHTS)

Overview of Services

The VICB HTS Core

The Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology's High-throughput Screening (HTS) core facility utilizes leading-edge technologies and practices to guide investigators in basic research and pharmacological discovery through the drug discovery process, from assay conception to lead compound identification. The VICB HTS facility offers comprehensive 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 systems, high-content imaging, and a high-throughput patch clamp. Staff can assist with assay development (biochemical, cell-based, and 3D cultures/organoids), distribution of compound/drug/RNAi/ORF libraries, compound management, screening, automation, data analysis, and informatics solutions. The VICB HTS 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 an ORFeome library (15,500 genes), as well as CRISPR-arrayed library screening. High-content imaging using their automated microscopy system allows for phenotypic assay development and discoveries.

Staff and Services

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 provides assistance with instrument training, assay optimization, pilot screening, automation, data capture and analysis, full library screening, and screen validation.

Instrumentation

The VICB HTS facility features state-of-the-art liquid handlers and multi-mode plate readers, which are compatible with a wide 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, transmitted light microscopy, and radiometric detection. The instrument can be used as part of a full-service model, which includes staff support, or you may be trained for independent use.

Compound Management

The VICB HTS features a state-of-the-art automated compound management system (Hamilton Verso), which provides environmentally controlled storage and on-demand access to the library compounds. The chemical library collection comprises chemically diverse screening libraries, as well as smaller, targeted collections. Compounds can be dispensed into a variety of tube and plate formats to accommodate the research investigator’s needs.

Data Management and Informatics

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 that enables the storage, analysis, and querying of experimental data, including container-level sample tracking. 

Leadership

Joshua A. Bauer, Ph.D.
Director, High Throughput Screening Facility
Director, Functional Genomics Screening & High-Content Imaging

Core Staff

VICB HTS Staff

 Compound Management

 Data Management and Informatics

Hours of Operation and Location

Links and Resources

Website: VICB HTS Core

General Questions/Contact: hts@vanderbilt.edu

Directions:   VICB HTS CORE

Contacts

Map