Life scientists use robots to test cells by the billion

摘要

An automated primary antibody screening workcell for early stage development of potential new treatments for central nervous system and immunology disorders has been designed and built for UCB by Farnborough-based Peak Analysis and Automation (PAA). Built around a Mitsubishi Electric robot, the workcell speeds up the process of antibody discovery by allowing the screening of billions of antibody producing B cells To become a therapeutic candidate, an antibody is required to have many desirable properties. As more is understood about the biochemical and biophysical properties of antibodies, so the list of desirable properties becomes longer. This quest for desirable properties produces more challenges for the area of antibody discovery; more antibodies need to be screened, tested and assessed, to allow the selection of the most suitable antibodies to progress. The process is underpinned by the careful design and selection of appropriate primary and secondary screening assay.