Sanofi-aventis and Louis Pasteur University collaborate with RainDance on accelerated screening system
RainDance Technologies has launched dScreen Consortium, a research initiative conducted with sanofi-aventis, Paris and Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg, France, to develop the next generation of high-throughput screening (HTS) for drug discovery applications.
RainDance Technologies has launched dScreen Consortium, a research initiative conducted with sanofi-aventis, Paris and Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg, France, to develop the next generation of high-throughput screening (HTS) for drug discovery applications.
The consortium was founded with the assistance of the Alsace Biovalley Cluster, France, which helped secure financing and support for the program. The expected gains in terms of productivity and knowledge should accelerate the drug discovery programs.
The dScreen Consortium assembles the renowned drug screening expertise of sanofi-aventis, the unique expertise in droplet-based micro reactors of the Chemical Biology Laboratory at the Institute for Science and Supramolecular Engineering (ISIS) in Louis Pasteur University, and RainDance Technologies" capabilities to apply droplet-based microfluidic technologies to human health and disease research.
"We are delighted to enter this partnership with two highly innovative research groups in this rapidly advancing field. The expected gains in terms of productivity and knowledge should significantly accelerate our drug discovery programs," "said Martin Galvan, scientific director at the sanofi-aventis research site in Strasbourg.
Based in the Alsace Biovalley in Strasbourg, the consortium will utilize the pico-liter volumes and ultra-high speed capabilities of RainDance's technology and systems to achieve breakthrough performance in high-throughput drug screening methodologies.
This exciting project represents the first research collaboration undertaken by our new RainDance Technologies France SARL subsidiary," said Chris McNary, president and ceo of RainDance Technologies. "The simplicity, speed and minute volume of our technology replace current complex automation solutions in high-throughput screening. Our technology will process 10 million droplets per hour on a single benchtop instrument, dramatically accelerating the drug discovery process while conserving precious screening compounds," added McNary.
The aim is to develop a digital microfluidic system for quantitative HTS of bio-active compounds using purified targets and cell-based assays. The very high-throughput will enable the measurement of dose-response curves for every compound in a chemical library. The second objective is to develop a new system for compound storage in which each compound will be stored in droplets using a microfluidic device.
RainDance was founded in 2004 by scientists from Harvard University; the Medical Research Centre in Cambridge, England and the ESPCI in Paris.