Monday, January 13, 2025
1/13/2025
PROJECT SUMMARY: The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology (Formerly: Scripps Research Institute-Florida) is requesting funds for the purchase of replacement BioRaptr dispensers to support its operations in High Throughput Screening at its UF Scripps HTS center for drug discovery. These plate dispensers are direct replacements of the first-generation Beckman Coulter BioRaptr instruments that are integrated into our workflow architecture for the preparation of bioassays using 384- well and 1536-well micro-well plate technology. Although the current BioRaptr dispensers have provided outstanding service, they are now obsolete having been used for ~17-years (first installed: 2006) and reached End of Support from the OEM (Beckman Coulter: ~2016); having been maintained by our internal engineering staff since. However sourcing parts, software upgrades and the obsolete operating system (Microsoft XP: end of support 2014) are no longer sustainable and compliant with UF IT informatics security and servicing needs. The UF Scripps HTS center seeks funds to purchase the three BioRaptr dispenser replacements needed to continue providing full HTS support to our UF Scripps faculty and the broader NIH research community as a whole. In addition, to provide extended support for antiviral and infectious disease drug screening (1U19AI171954), a miniaturized version of the BioRaptr known as the Precise Drop™ II Micro-Dispensing System, which is compatible with biosafety laminar flow-hood usage, is requested. Plate dispensers are a critical component of HTS screening campaigns having the task of preparing bioassay titer plates for parallel workflow processing employed in our HTS screening operations. These units are capable of dispensing a variety of biologicals including buffers, proteins, detection agents, wash reagents and living cells with high precision and broad 50nL to 100uL range. Their loss of function would essentially impede the execution of parallel HTS screening operations needed to meet time-dependent workflow obligations. No other dispensers with 1536w capabilities are available at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute. The UF Scripps HTS center served as one of four comprehensive HTS centers commissioned by the NIH during the MLPCN program (2005-2013). In this MLPCN era, we had performed over 280 HTS campaigns using these plate dispensers. To date well over 400 HTS drug discovery campaigns have been supported through the use of these dispensers. It is crucial that these devices be replaced in a timely fashion to avoid crippling ongoing NIH-funded activities and hindering research programs aimed at advancing basic and translational research. Instrument support from the NIH will help ensure that the UF Scripps HTS `services can meet its current and future obligations in a timely fashion without interruption to NIH-funded HTS activities.
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