Equipment and Technology
Our suite features standard lab instruments (centrifuges, incubators, etc.) as well as specialized equipment to support high-throughput liquid handling, protein production, cell sorting, and functional characterization.
Our equipment is open to all collaborating academic and industry investigators and is typically accessed through collaborative programs rather than one-time independent use.
Our instruments were purchased with support from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) and Dana-Farber.
Liquid Handling & Automation
Automated liquid dispenser for high-throughput in vitro assays including 96-well multiplexed binding assays, HT cloning workflows for CAR library generation as well as high-throughput cytotoxicity and tonic signaling assays that are currently in development.
A semi-automated 96- and 384-liquid handling system that supports cell culture automation and in vitro assays including 96-well multiplexed binding assays, HT cloning workflows for CAR library generation as well as high-throughput functional assays.
A robotic/automated liquid handling platform to support our HT automated liquid handling goals. We have customized our STARlet system to support the rapid plating and screening of effector-tumor cocultures for cytotoxicity screening of cell therapy and biologics candidates.
A high-throughput, automated plate washer to support large volume ELISAs and other plate-based assays. This instrument will help bridge gaps in our automation workflows for antibody characterization.
A semi-automated, benchtop purification system to support high-throughput workflows including antibody discovery and single-step protein purification.
An advanced, automated system for the high-throughput selection and picking of microbial colonies. We have developed workflows on the system to support the arrayed screening of phage and yeast outputs from antibody discovery campaigns.
Protein Quantitation & Affinity Measurement
A high-throughput, digital SPR instrument allows for kinetics, epitope binning as well as quantitation of protein in crude samples. The instrument is used to perform multicycle kinetics and epitope binning for small (~10 member) libraries of antibodies and workflows are currently in development for the HT quantitation of monospecific and bispecific antibodies in crude samples.
A high sensitivity, eight-channel SPR instrument for both single- and multi-cycle kinetics assessments of lead monospecific and bispecific binders.
A label-free, biolayer interferometry system capable of quantitating and analyzing proteins, nucleic acids and viral particles to support the characterization of proteins and transfection material used in cell therapy production.
Cell Imaging & Characterization
Automated, three-color live cell imaging systems facilitate a range of long-term imaging experiments. Within IMPACT2, instruments support high-throughput, multiday cytotoxicity experiments to assess the tumor killing kinetics as well as effector cell proliferation of lead CAR candidates.
A multi-mode plate reader capable of supporting high throughput (HT) workflows for functional assessment of CAR and biologics candidates, specifically luminescence, absorbance and fluorescence measurements.
Flow Cytometry & Cell Sorting
A high-throughput flow cytometer that supports several low-volume, rapid and multiplexed immunophenotyping screens that are currently in development within IMPACT2. Assays include, but are not limited to, multiplexed antibody binding assays in 96 wells, assessment of transduction efficiency for CAR libraries, arrayed evaluation of tonic signal in CAR libraries as well as a multiplexed quantitation of cytokines for an in vitro screen of CAR candidates for CRS potential.
A flow cytometer designed for multiparameter analysis of cells and particles that support immunophenotyping screens utilized within IMPACT2. As with the iQUE, assays include assessment of transduction efficiency for CAR libraries and arrayed evaluation of tonic signal in CAR libraries.
An automated, 4-way cell sorter dedicated to sorting yeast antibody libraries and supporting upstream antibody discovery initiatives.
Protein Production & Characterization
Semi-automated FPLC system allows for the purification of a wide-range of tagged and untagged proteins via affinity, size or ion exchange chromatography of mammalian and bacterial-expressed IgG-like and fragment-based antibodies.
HPLC and DLS system to support the characterization of biologics as well as smaller particles including LNPs for aggregation propensity, colloidal & thermal stability.
Contact
Faculty Director: Eric L. Smith, MD, PhD
Head of Research: Anusuya Ramasubramanian, PhD
Harvard Institutes of Medicine
Room 105 (office) and Room 115 (lab)
4 Blackfan St
Boston, MA 02115
