RNAseq and qPCR are widely used technologies in academic, biotech, and pharma settings for quantifying RNA expression levels. While purified RNA is often preferred, the extraction process can be laborious, time-consuming and less suitable for high-throughput demands. To streamline our internal RNA-centric workflows and enhance efficiency, we automated our RNA extraction process by combining the capabilities of the CyBio FeliX and SimplyRNA chemistry from Promega, with the goal of creating an accessible RNA processing platform while at the same time improving quality, consistency, and throughput. In this talk, I’ll summarize our current workflow, including custom optimisations that we introduced, and discuss our future ambitions.

Maxim, a cellular and molecular biologist, holds a PhD in Molecular Mechanisms of Disease from the University of Copenhagen. His research has centered around signal transduction pathways related to cellular stress. After completing his postdoc at the Center of Healthy Aging in Copenhagen, Maxim transitioned to the pharmaceutical industry where he has worked within the fields of medical dermatology, and more recently neuroscience. Since 2019, he has used his expertise for drug discovery campaigns, target validation, and detailed mechanism of action studies on small molecules and biologics. Maxim is currently a senior scientist in the department of functional and cellular pharmacology at Lundbeck, a global pharmaceutical company specializing in brain diseases. Within this department, we support our project pipeline by inventing, designing, and developing fit-for purpose in vitro/ex vivo functional and cellular assays.

Gene drive systems have emerged as cutting-edge methods for controlling insect pest populations. Significant progress has been made in developing strategies to suppress target mosquito populations in laboratory settings effectively. However, it is imperative to develop robust methods for monitoring and assessing these genetic elements. It is crucial to assess their
long-term efficacy on a large scale, as the ultimate goal is to implement these technologies in the field. Our research has focused on developing high-throughput methods for automated DNA extraction and molecular characterisation of mosquito strains that can potentially be used for vector control.

Utilisation of Promega's Dual-Glo^® Luciferase Assay System to create a high throughput T Cell activation assay to screen ML optimised proteins. 

Cristina has a background in Biomedical Engineering and Cellular/Molecular BioSciences, with research experience from both academia and industry. She brings extensive expertise in experimental design, formulation optimisation, and laboratory automation. 

Research into the oral microbiome has exploded and we are increasingly understanding the role it plays in both oral and systemic health. However, there are several challenges associated with standardizing every step of analysis, from sampling, DNA extraction, library preparation, sequencing, and data processing. At Salient Bio we are investigating how each of these steps might affect analysis and ensuring we have the most precise, representative, and useful oral microbiome test available.

Laboratory manager and research scientist with over 10 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, developing and delivering molecular biology assays for drug discovery and development. Particular focus on genomics, transcriptomics, immunology, and microbiome research.

The CyBio FeliX is one of the most flexible and compact liquid handlers on the market. Its modular design enables it to automate
a wide variety of lab processes from nucleic acid and protein purification through to cell culture and High Throughput screening assays. Here we will demonstrate the latest new modules for the FeliX – a plastic free, ultra-low volume pipetting module and independent channel heads ideal for cherry picking, normalisation and assay set up. 

Chris Hirst is a Product Manager for Analytik Jena based in London.

In this role he leads the UK based application support team but also helps to guide and implement new features and innovations for AJ’s liquid handling and automation products. Prior to joining Analytik Jena, he earned a PhD in Synthetic Biology from Imperial College and worked at the Synthetic Biology Innovation and Knowledge Centre for Synthetic Biology (SynbiCITE).

Join Promega and Analytik Jena as they reveal how we automate high throughput extractions and cellular assays. Discover how to avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls that can hinder your automation adoption. Learn about the ideal methodologies to design and validate your chemistries. Finally, explore additional ways to leverage liquid handling throughout your lab and fully realise the benefits of automation.

Rhys Cooper is a Field Support Scientists Europe at Promega based in the UK. His main role is to assist customers with automation of Promega chemistry on
a variety of liquid handling platforms. He has multiple years experience developing and validating automated extraction and downstream processes on liquid handling platforms.

Join Promega and Analytik Jena as they reveal how we automate high throughput extractions and cellular assays. Discover how to avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls that can hinder your automation adoption. Learn about the ideal methodologies to design and validate your chemistries. Finally, explore additional ways to leverage liquid handling throughout your lab and fully realise the benefits of automation.

Sebastien Lambertucci has completed his PhD in the plant molecular biology with
a special focus on proteomics. Since 2021, he has focused on automating protein and nucleic acid extraction as part of Analytik Jena's Team. This includes developing cutting edge assays to overhaul manual process and improve their throughput. 

Antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays using PBMCs or NK cells often face high variability and poor reproducibility. To address this, Promega developed a reporter-based ADCC bioassay with an effector cell line expressing NFAT luciferase and human FcgIIIa (V158) receptor. This assay, which activates luciferase upon antibody binding to target cells, improves reproducibility and reduces variability, retaining Fc effector function discrimination. The ADCC Reporter Bioassay, tested with FDA-approved antibodies like rituximab and trastuzumab, showed excellent linearity, accuracy, precision, and stability indication. It is
a reliable alternative to traditional cytotoxic ADCC assays, ideal for low variability and high reproducibility needs. Here we present application data demonstrating the utilisation of Promega's ADCC assay on an Analytik Jena Felix platform to move the assay into a high throughput environment.

Nans Bodet is a Supervisor and Field Support Scientist for Europe at Promega Corporation. He has a strong background in biotechnology and has been involved in providing technical support, troubleshooting, and implementing Promega solutions on various automation platforms. His work includes conducting instrument and reagent demonstrations, offering technical advice, and optimising workflows for high-throughput nucleic acid purification and other molecular biology applications.

Being able to extract gDNA from transduced cells is a key step for both analytical and QC methodologies within the cell & gene therapy industry. The gDNA needs to be of adequate purity and quality to be suitable for downstream applications such as qPCR. At Quell Therapeutics, we have worked closely with Analytik Jena and Promega to automate our gDNA extraction using the Promega One4All kit and CyBio FeliX. 

Scientist with 10-years’ experience working within the cell and gene therapy industry in both PD/MSAT and GMP production roles. Currently working as a Scientist II within the vector delivery team at Quell Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company harnessing the suppressive capabilities of CAR-Tregs to treat conditions associated with immune dysregulation.