Abstract

Accelerating Basic Biochemical and Transnational in vitro Biology through the Implementation of Laboratory Automation: "The Approaching Confluence of Artisan Research an Industrial Scale "

Anthony Davies, Director, The Queensland University of Technology

To facilitate our understanding of key cellular processes that underlie human disease scientists working in the field of transnational cell biology are constantly looking for technological solutions that will lead them to a therapeutic approach to treat patients. Biochemical screening methods have long been used in drug discovery labs, and more recently also in academic settings. Recent advances in both assay preparation and analysis of cell based assays are now making feasible for the first time a fully automated transnational discovery approach a reality. Here at TCIQ we are focused on the development of entirely new experimental approaches to address the multitude of practical problems associated with working with patient derived tissue and cellular samples. Such issues include the size and availability patient derived samples and specimens that can be collected, the inherent biological variability encountered as a consequence of harvesting these form multiple donors and finally the viability of these samples for use in long term studies.