A team of AIM Biotech scientists used the Opentrons OT-2 automated liquid handling system to automate basic to complex human cell-based assay steps.

AIM Biotech A team of scientists at the biotech company developed the drug in a project to develop drugs based on human cells. With their idenTx Organ-on-a-Chip (OOAC) platform, they are focused on creating automated systems for scientists who need to perform OOAC-based tissue culture assays in the laboratory. The system enables the use of human cells in culture media, flexible reproduction of human tissues and disease states, and physiological accuracy unachievable with traditional 2D tissue culture.

Left: idenTx 3, 9, and 40; Right: Human blood-brain barrier model imaging using idenTx 9

Jim McGorry, CEO of AIM Biotech "The idenTx system combines sophisticated microfluidic design with tissue culture labware sizes commonly used by scientists, and the system can scale from a chip that holds 3 experiments to a well plate that holds 9 experiments, and then to a well plate that holds 40 experiments." Experimental orifice plate promotes the experiment Scalability, an advantage unparalleled in the field. "Using standard SBS format plates as the basis for this scalability allows researchers to take full advantage of their commonly used high-throughput screening formats for target identification. , target validation, lead identification and lead optimization. idenTx's flexibility in creating complex microphysiological systems is based on its ability to seed cells into a central gel channel containing polymerizable hydrogel, or into either of two flanking media channels. However, with up to 40 experiments on a well plate, the steps of gel filling, media filling, and cell seeding are best accomplished by an automated liquid handling system.

Close-up of idenTx central gel channel and flanking culture channels

Sei Hien Lim, AIM Biotechnology Application Development Manager, said: “When developing the idenTx system, we knew that compatibility with automated liquid handling would be a key usability factor. We wanted an affordable, An easy-to-use automated system and then validating our idenTx processing protocol on this system, Opentrons OT-2 proved to be exactly the platform we had been looking for.”

OT-2 deck layout designed using Opentrons protocol editor

AIM Biotech's applications team easily created custom protocols using the Opentrons online protocol editor to automate liquid handling in all preparation and experimental steps, including:

1. Preparation and filling of collagen gel

2. Hydration and breakthrough medium channel

3. Seeding cells

4. Change culture medium

5. Stain cells

By using OT-2, the team has automated human cell-based detection steps from the most basic to the most complex, establishing an automated foundation for drug development in fields such as cancer, immuno-oncology, vascular biology, and neurobiology.