A 3D InSight™ into drug discovery with Tecan's Infinite® M200 PRO
Schlieren, Männedorf, Switzerland, July 16, 2013 – A novel solution for analyzing 3D cell cultures, based on Tecan’s Infinite® M200 PRO and InSphero’s 3D InSight™ microtissue technology, is helping to reduce the cost of early phase drug development.
Dr Jens M Kelm, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of InSphero, explained: “Although classical 2D cell culture techniques are still widely used throughout the pharmaceutical industry, their limitations are becoming increasingly apparent. The efficacy of a candidate drug depends on a number of factors, including the physical and chemical environments in vivo, drug penetration, and clearance rates. 2D cell cultures do not accurately reflect how all of these factors will affect drug behavior in vivo; 3D cell culturing techniques offer greater biological relevance for drug screening.”
“The GravityTRAP™ plate allows straightforward use of hanging drop cultures into ANSI/SLAS format microplates, permitting the use of automated liquid handling systems and standard format microplate readers, such as the Infinite M200 PRO multimode reader. This instrument’s bottom reading optics are a good match for the conical well design of the plate – allowing the entire well to be scanned at once, without the need for multiple acquisitions at different points across each well – and the system’s multiple reading modes provide a lot of flexibility in terms of the assay reporter mechanisms which can be employed,” concluded Dr Kelm.
About Tecan
Tecan is a leading global provider of laboratory instruments and solutions in biopharmaceuticals, forensics, and clinical diagnostics. The company specializes in the development, production, and distribution of automated workflow solutions for laboratories in the life sciences sector. Its clients include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, university research departments, and forensic and diagnostic laboratories.
As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Tecan is also a leader in developing and manufacturing OEM instruments and components that partner companies then distribute. Founded in Switzerland in 1980, the company has manufacturing, research, and development sites in both Europe and North America and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries. In 2011, Tecan generated sales of CHF 377 million (USD 424 million; EUR 306 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (TK: TECN/Reuters: TECZn.S/Swiss security number: 1210019).
Information about Tecan’s Infinite® M200 PRO
For more information about Tecan’s Infinite® M200 PRO, please contact:
Tecan Trading AG
Cornelia Kegele / Antonietta Allocca, Seestrasse 103, CH-8708 Männedorf, Tel +41 (0)44 922 81 11, Fax +41 (0)44 922 81 12, info@tecan.com.
