Skip to main content Skip to navigation

High-throughput MIC hit detection and Synergy Screening

Warwick Antimicrobial Screening Facility are now offering automated, high-throughput MIC hit detection and synergy screening of compound libraries. implementation of our Tecan Freedom EVO liquid handling platform enables us to provide a faster and more economical antimicrobial screening service whilst retaining reliability. The technology is specially designed to process medium to large sized libraries for academic and industrial clients at an affordable price, making screening more accessible than would be possible with manual handling.

saFor biosafety level 1 organisms, the entire work-flow, from inocula to analysis, is automated. Compounds are supplied by the client at 4x the desired test concentration and transferred onto the 384 destination plate before the well is inoculated with the desired bacteria.

Click here for example high-throughput MICs and Checkerboards

The robot can be run 24 hours a day and takes 1 hour of human interaction to set up. The hourly charge for the robot is a third of the price of a technician. In addition, automation avoids potential human error typical with repetitive tasks.

In all cases, reduced volumes in 384 plates allow 2.5x less compound usage.

Custom layouts, strains, and requirements can be easily accommodated, compounds can be supplied in water or DMSO. Dilution of powders can be handled at additional cost.

Positive and negative controls as well as 2 antibiotic controls (of client choice) are included on every plate.

MIC results are determined using a custom matlab script.

Strains

The system is optimised to an E. coli screening strain with a TolC knockout which reduces issues with permeation and increases hit rate, allowing the potential of the chemistry to be realised. Other ESKAPE organisms and β-lactamase hyper-producers are available on request.

Results

All hits identified by RobotMIC can be rapidly followed up with manual MICs and further organisms in the Warwick Antimicrobial Screening Facility. Our expert scientists are always on hand to help with data analysis and investigation, to make sure you get the as much from your data as possible.

Contact:

Claire Gerard: c dot gerard at warwick dot ac dot uk / 07385 145064