Therapeutics Core
About
The mission of Augusta University Therapeutics Core (AUTC) is to provide an affordable on-campus service platform for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and interventions for disease treatment. Our core facility is meticulously designed to foster the translation of basic scientific discoveries into pre-clinical drug development starting from target identification to high-throughput compound screening and biological validation. We offer tailored services that span from assay development to FDA-drug library screening, unbiased compound screening, and high-content imaging and screening to meet the diverse drug discovery needs of researchers. Our facility can empower researchers to repurpose existing FDA-approved drugs and discover new compounds for drug development, providing increased opportunities for extramural funding and patents.
Contact Us
Therapeutics Core
1462 Laney Walker Blvd.
Augusta, GA 30912
Room CA4062
Monday - Friday 8:00AM – 5:00PM
Equipment
The core is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including a Biomek i7 automated liquid handler (Beckman), a PHERAstar microplate reader (BMG LabTech), and an ImageXpress® Micro Confocal High Content Imaging System (Molecular Devices), among other advanced tools.
Description
The Pala Single Cell Dispenser gently sorts and dispenses single or bulk cells using sterile microfluidic channels and fluorescence detectors. Can be gated to sort multiple fluorophores simultaneously. Dispenses a 384-well plate in as little as 7 minutes.
Description
This multi-mode HTS reader with 5 assay-dedicated detectors offers timely precise top or bottom-well focused screenings on plate with up to 3456 wells. Two internal injectors eliminate the lag time between initial reaction and reading, allowing for the screening of compounds reactions as they occur. Also includes internal temperature control and shaker.
Description
The Biomek Automated Liquid Handling System is an automated liquid handler often used in HTS pipettes more accurately and efficiently than any person, especially when it comes to those tedious 384-well plates. Spacious platforming and individually-modifiable pipette volumes allow for multiplicitous assaying and simultaneous handling of substances.
ImageXpress Micro Confocal
Description
The ImageXpress Micro Confocal images live and fixed cells in widefield and confocal. Produces ultra-quality 3D images using z-plane layers. Its spinning disk allows for the live capture of cell migration, stem cell differentiation, and cardiac cell beating.
MetaXpress High-Content System Software
Description
MetaXpress High-Content System Software is a comprehensive solution for high-content analysis featuring a tightly orchestrated and integrated workflow. The portfolio of application modules support a wide range of needs from ease-of-use through to proprietary assay design. The software includes elegant tools for 2D and 3D imaging.
Services
The core has the following compound libraries: an FDA-approved drug library, a kinase inhibitor library, a GPCR ligand like compound library and a 100k unbiased compound collection. We provide the following services:
- Assisted Equipment Use
- Free Consultation
- Assay Development
- Screening of an FDA-Approved Drug Library
- Screening of a kinase inhibitor library (or other specialized libraries)
- Pilot unbiased compound screening (up to 10k compounds)
- HTS (100k compounds)
- High-content imaging and screening
- Hit selection and validation
