There's no stopping this train. High-throughput sample processing has become the hot topic in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Clearly, the demands for faster, more efficient, and cheaper methods of drug discovery have taken the forefront as automated assays move from 96 to 386 and higher density microplates. In turn, faster and faster methods to process these plates follow.
For example, in a recent press release, Zymark Corporation of Hopkinton, Mass., announced the successful processing of a thousand 96-well plates in 24 hours by one of its Allegro™ automation platforms. All together, the system processed 96,000 tests involving an advanced, 15-step assay for drug candidates that inhibit src kinase activity. Not one to sit still, Zymark plans to expand the Allegro system's capabilities to handle up to 400,000 tests per day.
Robbins Scientific's Hydra® AP-Microdispenser Jim Stanchfield of Robbins Scientific sums up high-throughput science this way: "The technology keeps improving. ...
