The High-Throughput Screening Core Facility supports academic and industrial researchers in discovering new molecules and targets, from early-stage exploration to large screening campaigns. We develop, miniaturize, and automate a wide range of assays, from biochemical and cell-based readouts to high-content imaging and other high-dimensional profiling approaches. Our team combines expertise in screening, automation, and data analysis to help partners identify compounds and genes of interest, and to support early drug discovery projects.
Services offered:
- Library management: Small-molecule and functional genomics libraries (shRNA, CRISPR, ORF); library hosting for academic and industrial partners.
- Assay development: From concept to screen-ready assay: design, miniaturization, automation, validation, and SOPs.
- Automated screening: Fully automated workflows, from focused sets to large campaigns, including high-dimensional datasets for AI applications.
- Data analysis: QC, normalization, and hit selection, with custom pipelines for image-based and transcriptomic profiling.
- Technology development: New screening technologies, New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), multi-omics profiling, and proof-of-concept studies.
Equipment:
Library description
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- Commercial screening Libraries (Chembridge DiverSet, Maybridge Hitfinder, SPECS):
- Selected compounds (drug-like properties) 77000
- Fragments (MW<250) 14000
- Secondary selection (non-traditional scaffolds) 11000
- Focused sub-libraries
- Chembridge GPCR Library 5000
- Maybridge BioactiveV2 library 700
- oMaybridge Cytotoxic library 1000
- Maybridge custom selection 1000
- Repurposing/Bioactive compounds Libraries
- Microsource Discovery Spectrum 2000
- Biomol (natural products) 700
- Prestwick (FDA & EMA approved) 1100
- Sigma LOPAC 1280 1300
- ApexBio L1048 2000
- Selleckhem L1300 (FDA approved) 2700
- UdeM proprietary compounds 9000
Fully integrated robotic system 1 (Spinnaker 3, Thermo Fisher)
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- Acoustic transfer workstation Echo 555 (Labcyte)
- Fluent 480 liquid handler (Tecan)
- Bulk dispensers: Multidrop Combi (Thermo Fisher), MultiFlo FX (BioTek)
- Plate washer: 405 TS (BioTek)
- Automated CO2 incubator Cytomat C10 (Thermo Fisher)
- Ambient carousel (up to 120 microplates)
- Synergy Neo plate reader (BioTek)
- CellVoyager CQ1 high-content imager (Yokogawa)
Fully integrated robotic system 2 (F7, Thermo Fisher)
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- Biomek NX liquid handler (Beckman Coulter), in a biosafety cabinet
- Bulk dispensers: Multidrop Combi (Thermo Fisher), MultiFlo FX RAD (BioTek)
- Plate washer: 405 TS (BioTek)
- VSpin microplate centrifuge (Agilent)
- Automated CO2 incubator Cytomat C5 (Thermo Fisher)
- Ambient carousel
- Synergy Neo plate reader (BioTek)
Semi-automated pipetting workstation, in a class II biosafety cabinet
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- Fluent 780 liquid handler (Tecan)
- Cytomat C10 hotel for ambient storage (Thermo Fisher)
High-content imager Opera (PerkinElmer)
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- Objectives: 20X air; 20X, 40X and 60X water immersion
- Environmental control (temperature, CO2 and humidity)
- Plate handler VP5243M (PerkinElmer) with 42-position hotel
Functional screening system FDSS 7000 (Hamamatsu)
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- High-sensitivity EM-CCD camera, whole 384-well plate imaging
- Sampling rate up to 10 Hz (10 reads per second)
- Two 384-well pipetting heads
Label-free interaction analysis OctetRed 384 (Sartorius)
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- Bio-layer interferometry (BLI) for real-time, label-free biomolecular interaction analysis
- Binding kinetics, affinity determination, and protein quantitation
Live-cell analysis systems Incucyte S3 and SX5 (Sartorius)
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- Automated, long-term imaging of live cells inside a standard CO2 incubator
- Phase contrast and multi-channel fluorescence imaging
- Up to 6 microplates per instrument
- Applications include proliferation, cytotoxicity, immune cell killing, and morphology over time
Biological and chemical data storage
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ActivityBase Suite ver. 9.1 (IDBS)