Non-Contact Dispensing to Improve Automated High Throughput Assay

 

Using the Tempest® liquid dispenser from Formulatrix and in collaboration with HighRes Biosolutions® for integration of the instrument with an existing automation platform, researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital were able to rapidly screen a focused compound library screening early cancer drug candidates in an AlphaLISA® assay. The success of this project was facilitated by a number of key Tempest® features, namely an in-built capacity to recirculate the AlphaLISA® beads, the ability to dispense multiple reagents from a single dispenser, and extremely low dead volumes.

 

About AlphaLISA®

AlphaLISA® is widely used to support high throughput screening campaigns due to its sensitivity, versatility and innate compatibility with automation. Following a homogeneous, no-wash protocol, the technology produces a measurable light signal when specialized donor and acceptor beads are brought into close proximity through a binding event. By using AlphaLISA® to screen a chemical library for its ability to disrupt binding, researchers can quickly identify compounds for hit-to-lead progression.

Although AlphaLISA® offers many benefits, the technology suffers from several limitations. Firstly, the beads have a propensity to settle, necessitating the use of instrumentation to maintain a uniform suspension. AlphaLISA® reagents are also relatively expensive, meaning dead volumes must be minimized to reduce waste and keep costs down. In addition, the donor beads are light sensitive, requiring reagents to be handled away from direct sunlight and laboratory lighting to be dimmed.

Working with TEMPEST® 

Using the Tempest® liquid dispenser from Formulatrix and in collaboration with HighRes Biosolutions® for integration of the instrument with an existing automation platform, researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital were able to rapidly screen a focused compound library screening early cancer drug candidates in an AlphaLISA® assay. The success of this project was facilitated by a number of key Tempest® features, namely an in-built capacity to recirculate the AlphaLISA® beads, the ability to dispense multiple reagents from a single dispenser, and extremely low dead volumes.

Researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have demonstrated the Tempest® to be a powerful enabling technology for AlphaLISA®, showcasing its potential for use with other bead-based high throughput screens. The recirculation function, low dead volumes and instrument flexibility are augmented by many additional product attributes, all of which support the improvement of existing techniques and increase the scope of emerging assay technologies.

To learn more about this study, read the application note or listen to the webinar using the links below

Publications

Citations: 101 Application: High Throughput Screening (HTS)
Ali et al., 2026 |Redox Biology |Link
SummaryBACH is a transcriptional regulator that modulates various cytoprotective pathways Among these pathways BACH regulates the cellular oxidative stress responses by suppressing the expression of cytoprotective genes Dysregulated BACH activity has been implicated in a range of pathologies including chronic inflammatory diseases fibrosis and cancer making it a promising therapeutic ...More |Related Solutions: Tempest®
Zamani et al., 2026 |ACS Omega |Link
The PD- PD-L immune checkpoint is a pivotal target for cancer immunotherapy Monoclonal antibodies mAbs targeting the PD- PD-L interaction have achieved clinical success but face limitations including high production costs suboptimal tumor penetration and potential immunogenicity To address these challenges we present the DNA-linked Inhibitor Antibody Assay DIANA a ...More |Related Solutions: Mantis®
Bosetti et al., 2026 |Structure |Link
Tankyrases are poly-ADP-ribosyltransferases that orchestrate numerous biological processes involved in disease Their established regulatory roles particularly within the WNT -catenin pathway have driven notable drug discovery efforts aimed at inhibiting their catalytic activity Targeting tankyrases interaction with proteins through their ARC domains represents an alternative strategy to be explored as ...More |Related Solutions: Mantis®
Lin et al., 2026 |Materials Today |Link
Imidazolium LipidBrick cationic lipid nanoparticles LNPs provide a pH-independent alternative to conventional ionizable systems for nucleic acid delivery Through a high-throughput screen of formulations spanning eight imidazolium cores three helper lipids and varying PEG densities we found that more than half of the library outperformed the clinical ionizable benchmark ALC- ...More |Related Solutions: Mantis®
Northcote et al., 2026 |Preprint |Link
Insulin resistance drives cardiometabolic disease yet its molecular signatures and tissue origins remain incompletely characterized and scalable assessment methods are lacking Here we apply Multi-Workflow Proteomics on plasma from individuals spanning the metabolic spectrum defined by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp derived insulin sensitivity We identify proteins associated with insulin sensitivity revealing ...More |Related Solutions: Tempest®