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Venomtech Launches Drug Targeted Venom Libraries in Labcyte Acoustically Compatible Microplates

Kent, UK and Sunnyvale, A -- (3^rd September, 2013) Venomtech, the United Kingdom’s only commercial venom supplier, and Labcyte Inc., the developer of acoustic liquid handling, today announced the launch of the Targeted Venom Discovery ArrayÔ under an exclusive partnership. This new format of biological libraries focuses on drug discovery targets to produce a fractionated venom library optimised for hit and lead generation. These are delivered in Labcyte Echo® qualified microplates for acoustic dispensing. These 384-well and 1536-well plates enable researchers to use the Echo® liquid handler to enhance the safety and accuracy of the manipulation of venoms.

The Targeted Venom Discovery ArrayÔ enables diverse biological samples to be screened in higher throughput with greater accuracy and simplicity with Dynamic Fluid Analysis™ on Echo systems.  Dynamic Fluid Analysis, introduced in early 2012 by Labcyte, acts in real time on a well-by-well basis to ensure a wide range of fluid types within a microplate are transferred with precision and accuracy from Echo qualified source plates.  By compensating for inherent variations in potent, biological fluids such as venom fractions, the Echo can handle the dispensing of the Acoustic Venom Discovery Array as it would a compound library or a natural products library in DMSO.

 “A variety of venoms have shown great utility in disease areas such as pain, cancer, antimicrobials, immunology, growth factors and haematology,” said Steven Trim, founder of Venomtech. “Scientific literature is rapidly growing around the use of venom components as novel leads and therapeutics for targets such as ion channels, enzymes, GPCRs and many others”. We have therefore designed our libraries for finding new hits to these targets and also offer a full hit-to-lead development service based on our extensive drug discovery and venom experience.

The Labcyte Echo liquid handler revolutionizes liquid transfer by using acoustic energy to eject fluids. The Echo allows for assay miniaturization to previously unattainable volumes, transferring 2.5 nL droplets repeatedly, so precision and accuracy are consistent over a larger volume range.  Larger volume transfer is achieved by transferring several hundred droplets per second. Transfer is non-contact and tipless, with increased cost savings from elimination of tip costs and washing fluids.

Miniaturization with the Echo liquid handler retains high assay performance, allowing quantitative results at higher assay well densities.  The Echo liquid handler can be used to transfer from any source well position to any destination well position.  These can be simple fluids (media for growing cells, buffers, DMSO) or viscous solutions (lysis buffers, antibodies with glycerol, or transfection reagents and now venom).

About Venomtech

Venomtech, the only commercial venom laboratory in the UK, already has a global reach and reputation. Our strong pharmaceutical background is evidenced through our product portfolio which is designed to facilitate biological drug discovery. Our constantly increasing library and format flexibility enables us to keep up with the fast pace of drug discovery technologies since venoms remain quick and as easy to develop as drug leads. Venomtech harnesses the power of evolution to maximise your hit potential.  Come and talk to us in the ELRIG Drug discovery 2013 to discover your next lead material and find out more at www.venomtech.co.uk.

About Labcyte
Labcyte, a global biotechnology tools company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is revolutionizing liquid handling. Echo liquid handling systems use sound to precisely transfer liquids without contact, eliminating the use of pipettes. Labcyte instruments are used worldwide throughout the pharmaceutical industry, as well as by biotechnology firms, contract research organizations, and academic institutions. Our customers work across a wide spectrum of scientific research, including drug discovery, genomics, proteomics, diagnostics, personalized medicine, and imaging mass spectrometry. Labcyte has 50 U.S. patents and others internationally. For more information, visit www.labcyte.com

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