Fidabio uses OT-2 and the Opentrons Python Protocol API to create devices that analyze protein interactions for biopharmaceutical development.

Fidabio is a biotechnology company founded by researchers from the University of Copenhagen. It is located in Denmark. The business is to help scientific researchers advance complex biological projects, such as multiple binding proteins, liposomes, exosomes and bispecific research projects. The FIDA technology invented by Fidabio enables simple, accurate and rapid detection and characterization of proteins and nanoparticles under native conditions.

Today we’re interviewing Fidabio’s CEO Brian S?rensen and CSO Henrik Jensen. To create a device for analyzing protein-protein interactions during biopharmaceutical development. They used Opentrons OT-2 automated pipetting robot and Opentrons Python API and their own software integration create a sophisticated solution for sample preparation Dilution workflow. Brian S?rensen and Henrik Jensen will share their experiences with the OT-2.

Opentrons: Please introduce your research background.

Brian S?rensen: We worked at the University of Copenhagen until the end of last year.

Henrik Jensen: At the university, we use the OT-2 automated pipetting platform to perform gradient dilutions in our sample preparation workflow. I think the convenience of OT-2 automation can help with overall integration within the lab.

Opentrons: What does your research project look like?

Brian S?rensen: Our internal pilots are usually small experiments, and manual pipetting is also sufficient. But when our customers needed to run large experiments, it wasn't feasible for technicians to do it just by increasing the speed of manual pipetting. Robots can replace manual pipetting, and researchers can save time for experimental analysis. Automation is required once the experiment involves larger dilution series, or when more samples need to be aliquoted. Let me give you an example. I have a customer who analyzes thousands of patient samples from a nearby hospital. Such a large-scale operation needs to be automated.

Opentrons: Why did you choose OT-2?

Brian S?rensen: We purchased a standalone liquid handling robot but quickly discovered that we could integrate it with our own software.

Henrik Jensen: I think the advantages of automation are as follows: First, it can help us process a large number of samples. Second, accuracy is also important in laboratory work. Automation can help improve results if you can do your work in a standardized way.

Brian S?rensen: Reproducibility is key, and the higher the human factor you have in the lab, the lower the reproducibility.

Henrik Jensen: Third, if you can use robots, the knowledge and skill requirements on the operator become smaller throughout the workflow.

Brian S?rensen: If you were just doing some regular analysis, you could do it all manually. But this may not be the best way to conduct the entire inspection and does not better maximize the value of the technician.

Henrik Jensen: With an automated pipetting platform, you can more easily document your research because you can share pipetting scripts and researchers can reproduce the data. Automation can detail your next actions and historical actions.

Brian S?rensen: If you want to move your experiment from one lab to another and there are manual steps in the experiment —

Henrik Jensen: —It’s much easier to automate. This factor is also one of the fundamental reasons why we automate the preparation process and even the entire workflow.

Brian S?rensen: When we first integrated OT-2, we thought it would be a good niche application. However, as we see more customers also interested in using OT-2 as part of their Fidabio workflow. We can see the possibility of seamlessly integrating more labs in the software sex. So we connected Fidabio's software with Opentrons.

Opentrons: How is your actual experience using OT-2?

Henrik Jensen: From a hardware perspective, it's plug-and-play and very convenient. However, there are still some things we need to learn about the protocol, but it is not difficult. Our software engineer Morten wrote the script himself. Script creation is actually very simple.

Brian S?rensen: The OT-2 fits seamlessly into our workflow. It simplifies the work of generating binding curves. We hand over a large number of repetitive pipetting tasks to robots instead of taking up technicians' time, saving labor costs and time costs. At the same time the OT-2 is ideally suited to our system as well as other automated laboratory systems. It is an end-to-end automated workflow.

Henrik Jensen: We have no experience in this area before. However, since we are instrument developers ourselves, we already have a good understanding of the process.

Opentrons: Before purchasing the OT-2, had you used other laboratory automation equipment? What are your expectations for the process of laboratory automation?

Brian S?rensen: When we developed our own platform, a high degree of automation was important to us. In this sense, the OT-2 nicely enhances one of our own key selling points. It aligns very well with one of the key elements of our own platform.

Opentrons: What exactly do you use the OT-2 for, and how does it fit into your workflow?

Brian S?rensen: For us, the instruments we sell must be very precise. We know our technology has the ability to provide very accurate data, but in the biological world, even small changes can affect the results. Especially with the applications we use (such as drug discovery), we have to make sure we control the experiment as much as possible. To ensure better experimental output, the preparation process is strictly controlled.

Henrik Jensen: Before we integrated, we had an analytics development partner that allowed us to feed information into the system and the system would figure out what you need to make a solution. Previously we did it manually. But next we will make scripts with OT-2 instead of doing it manually.

Opentrons: Do you have any other automation projects planned?

Brian S?rensen: We are always looking for further developments. Although our company is still young, we are in a period of rapid development and may try more integration and development projects in the future.

Opentrons: Is there anything else you’d like to share about using the OT-2?

Henrik Jensen: Openness and the ability to integrate with multiple platforms is a very important advantage of Opentrons products.

Brian S?rensen: We have discussed with Opentrons’ product development team ways to further integrate our products in order to provide our customers with seamless workflows and increase user efficiency. This demand is currently in high demand in the market. The trends we're seeing among our customers are that their demands for quantification and accuracy are increasing; and the more complex the lab workflow, the more demanding it is... and the greater the need to eliminate sources of error. The driving force for laboratory automation is not the automation itself, but that it can provide the highest quality experimental data.

Henrik Jensen: Automation is not just about creating cheaper, easier-to-use products for laboratories. We must consider how to automate the process, and we must consider the entire experimental process.

Brian S?rensen: Biotech companies have been grappling with this problem for a long time. Customers are looking for something to help them make a decision. The sooner they can find a solution, the more efficient their development process will be. This was an important breakthrough in the process.

Click here to download Fidabio’s software instructions and Opentrons Integrated information.