University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a method to retrofit a compound bioactivation system into any cell-based or cell-free high throughput screening microtiter plates (96-, 384-, or 1536-well). This innovative solution uses droplets of encapsulated primary human or animal hepatocytes gelled in agarose on the tips of custom-made pipettes, referred to as BioActivators. Human hepatocytes, known for their metabolic competence, are used to bioactivate test agents. Encapsulation is a cost-effective and simple method to prepare these hepatocytes for addition to any test plate. BioActivators can be prepared and cryopreserved for on-demand use at any internal or external high throughput screening laboratory.
Description
The BioActivator technology involves encapsulating primary human or animal hepatocytes in agarose droplets on the tips of custom pipettes. These BioActivators can be used to bioactivate test compounds before transferring the media into 96-, 384-, or 1536-well microtiter plates. Alternatively, BioActivators can be inserted into the media of ongoing assays for co-culture. This dual-format approach allows for flexibility in bioactivation and testing, with BioActivators being produced at a single facility, cryopreserved, and shipped on-demand for use in various laboratories.
Applications
• High throughput screening
• Toxicology testing
• Drug metabolism studies
• Environmental and household
chemical screening
Advantages
• Cost-effective and simple preparation of hepatocytes for bioactivation.
• Flexibility to use BioActivators in pre-conditioning or co-culture formats.
• Cryopreservation allows for on-demand use and easy distribution.
• Enhances the capability of existing high throughput screening platforms.
Invention Readiness
The BioActivator technology has been developed and tested, demonstrating its effectiveness in retrofitting high throughput screening assays. The encapsulated hepatocytes maintain metabolic competence and can be cryopreserved for later use. Prototypes have shown consistent performance, making the technology ready for further development and commercialization.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019089536A1
