What the facility does
Support flexible assay development, protein-based screens, and high-content live-cell imaging screens.
Areas of expertise
The SFU Centre for High-Throughput Chemical Biology (HTCB) is the only academic-centric high-throughput and high-content facility equipped with a state-of-the-art roboticized screening platform in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest, enabling a wide range of assays from live cell and target based.
Its fully automated, HEPA-filtered, robotic system supports flexible assay development, live-cell, and protein-based screening. With extensive compound libraries and a dedicated tissue culture facility, the platform enables clients to conduct diverse screens, from standard assays like cell painting and colorimetric MTT to customized protocols tailored to specific needs.
Clients benefit from expert staff offering guidance in assay design, optimization, and troubleshooting, along with the flexibility to screen custom compounds. The live-cell high-throughput imaging capability further enhances the platform’s versatility, making it a trusted choice for academic and industrial researchers alike.
Research services
- Automated high-throughput screening with flexible user-oriented services
- Pre-optimized assays of BioMAP, MTT and cell painting
- Tissue culture facility available to support assays
- Compound management
- Experimental development and optimization assistance
Sectors of application
- Agriculture, animal science and food
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized lab | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| HTCB lab | Thermo Scientific™ Spinnaker™ Microplate Robot | Plate-handling robot on a 2.5 m linear track, integrating multiple other instruments (including microscopes, plate readers and TECAN dispenser) into an automated system. |
| HTCB lab | Molecular Devices™ ImageXpress® Micro XLS Widefield High-Content Imaging Systems (2) | High-performance widefield microscope with multiple fluorescence channels and live-cell imaging capabilities. Integrated into the automated system. |
| HTCB lab | Agilent BioTek Synergy Neo2 Hybrid Multimode Reader | Multimode microplate reader integrated into the automated system with a temperature control feature. Offers absorbance, luminescence, and fluorescence readings. |
| HTCB lab | Thermo Scientific Cytomat 2 C-LiN Automated Incubators (2) | Microplate incubator with robotic arm that provides optimum settings for mammalian and bacterial cell growth. Integrated into the automated system. |
| HTCB lab | TECAN Freedom Evo 100 and Evo 150 liquid handling systems | Multi-functioning plate handling robot in the automated system to dispense liquid, pin and shake microplates, etc. |
| HTCB lab | Thermo Scientific Microplate Carousel | Store up to 100 microplates in ambient temperature during automation. |
| HTCB lab | Agilent Microplate Centrifuge | Centrifugation of microplates. Integrated into the automated system. |
| HTCB lab | Agilent BioTek EL406 Microplate Washer Dispensers (2) | Automate the washing, dispensing and aspiration of fluids in microplates. Integrated into the automated system. |
| HTCB lab | Thermo Scientific Multidrop Combi+ Reagent Dispensers (2) | Dispense liquid with high efficiency, accuracy and precision. Integrated into the automated system. |
| HTCB lab | Agilent PlateLoc Thermal Microplate Sealer | Seal plates when required during screening as well as to seal compound library plates that will be placed into storage. Integrated into the automated setup. |
| HTCB lab | Brooks XPeel Automated Plate Seal Remover | Remove seals from microplates (de-sealer). Integrated in the automated setup. |
| Tissue Culture Facility | Thermo Scientific™ 1300 Series A2 Biological Safety Cabinets (2) | Sterile handling of mammalian tissue culture. |
| HTCB lab | Vala Sciences IC200-KIC Kinetic Image Cytometer | Microscope capable of structure illumination microscopy (SIM) and electrical stimulation of cells. |
| HTCB lab | Formulatrix MANTIS Microfluidic Liquid Dispenser | Accurate and precise dispensing of reagents into individual wells. |
| Tissue Culture Facility | NanoCellect WOLF G2 Cell Sorter | Benchtop microfluidic cell sorter with single and bulk cell sorting capabilities. |
| HTCB lab | DFMZ HEPA-Filtered Automation Enclosure | Provides operator, sample, and environmental protection. The enclosure surrounds the automation setup. |
| Tissue Culture Facility | Compound Libraries | The HTCB compound collection contains both commercial compound libraries (>100,0000 compounds) and microbial natural products libraries (7,000 extracts containing an estimated 25,000 natural product structures). |
| Tissue Culture Facility | Thermo Scientific EVOS M5000 Imaging System | Microscope with an attached LCD monitor for four-colour fluorescence detection. |
| Tissue Culture Facility | Thermo Scientific Forma Series II Water-Jacketed CO2 Incubators (4) | Provide optimal growth conditions for the tissue cultures. One of the incubators is dedicated for stem cell cultures. |
| Tissue Culture Facility | Agilent G5581A Microplate Labeler | Print and apply labels to microplates. |
| Tissue Culture Facility | Agilent BenchCel Microplate Handler | Transfer and stack microplates. |
Additional information
| Title | Hyperlink |
|---|---|
| A direct fluorescent activity assay for glycosyltransferases enables convenient high-throughput screening: application to O-GlcNAc transferase | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202000621 |
| Collateral sensitivity profiling in drug-resistant Escherichia coli identifies natural products suppressing cephalosporin resistance | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37624-4 |
| Targeted sampling of natural product space to identify bioactive natural product-like polyketide macrolides | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46721-x |
| PI3K/AKT signaling mediates stress-inducible amyloid formation through c-Myc | https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(25)00388-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghu… |