Director
Assay Development and High-Throughput Screening
The assay development and HTS team is a group of expert staff responsible for developing and automating biological assays as well as conducting biochemical and cell-based high-throughput screens to identify new lead compounds that benefit both mechanistic studies and drug discovery/development. Working closely with research investigators, the HTS team strives to provide rapid, cost-effective assay development and chemical library screening. The team aids in instrument training/assistance, assay optimization, pilot screening, automation, data capture and analysis, compound distribution, full library screening, and screen validation.
Informatics
The HTS Informatics team is responsible for integrating automation and instrumentation with downstream data handling and reporting. This group maintains the laboratory technology infrastructure, including maintaining and troubleshooting instrumentation, robotic integration, network security, performing data backups, and managing data access. The team is also responsible for database management and information processing, including the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) management. They perform systems analysis and programming as needed for instrument interfaces and integration, as well as extracting, reformatting, uploading, aggregating, and/or analyzing data gathered in the course of HTS experiments. In addition, the group assists laboratory and scientific personnel with all their informatics needs, including overseeing data exchanges with research investigators.
Compound Management
The HTS facility houses a state-of-the-art automated compound management system (Hamilton Storage Technologies) that provides environmentally controlled storage and on-demand access to the library compounds. The chemical library collection consists of commercially purchased libraries as well as compounds synthesized by collaborating investigators to give a diverse array of chemical materials for biological testing. Processes such as compound registration, storage, and handling all meet or exceed industry standards. Compounds can be dispensed into a variety of tube and plate formats (6-well to 384-well) to accommodate the research investigator’s needs.
Lab Management
The HTS facility requires a dedicated person to maintain and manage inventory, supplies, and instruments.
Internal Advisory Board
The Scientific Advisory Board for the Vanderbilt HTS Facility is an association of research investigators and leaders with proven track records in academic and industrial research programs. Together, they oversee the intermediate and long-term goals of the facility by advising on growth and diversification strategies, assessing and prioritizing proposed projects that enter the facility, critiquing success metrics, and providing financial oversight and funding leadership.