LINQ: The integrated automation platform for early drug discovery

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Automata’s workflow automation platform, LINQ, can address bottlenecks at various stages of the drug discovery process, with a focus on specific scientific applications that are most suitable for automation.

Here’s how Automata’s platform can be applied to address bottlenecks at each stage:

A graphic detailing how LINQ can be used to automate any stage of drug discovery. Including sequencing, tissue culture, HTS and ELISA.

Early drug discovery

Discovery biology

  • Sequencing – automation of workflows can increase sample throughput, improve reliability and accuracy, and speed up data output.
  • Tissue culture processes can be automated for consistency and precision, such as automated media exchanges, cell passaging, and cell counting.
  • Automation of cell culture allows for weekend cell maintenance without the need for monitoring during antisocial hours. This allows for more cells and more experiments per week.

Lead generation

  • Automata’s platform can facilitate the high-throughput screening process, including the automated preparation of assay plates.
  • Compound management, storage, and retrieval can be automated to accelerate lead generation. When this is integrated into the assay platform, there is more robust sample tracking and data management.
  • Automated liquid handling can optimise cell-based assays for lead identification. Larger numbers of assay plates can be handled and tracked, giving bigger, more complete data sets. Assays can be run out of hours for faster throughput. 

Lead optimisation

  • Automata’s platform maximises the optimisation of lead compounds by automating cell-based assays and high-content screening.
  • Automated preparation of assay-ready plates and tissue culture processes ensures efficiency. Automation can generate more assay-ready plates faster and more reliably than manual workflows.

Pre-clinical

Stable cell line development

  • Automata's LINQ platform can assist in automating the selection and maintenance of stable cell lines, including monitoring cell growth and protein expression levels.
  • ELISA assays can be automated for consistent and high-throughput analysis.

Process development

  • Automation streamlines analytical chemistry processes, including data analysis and reporting.
  • Tissue culture processes, such as media changes and cell maintenance, can be automated and iterated for optimisation.

Formulation

  • Automated QC systems ensure precise and consistent upstream and downstream process compliance in the preparation and manufacture of drug formulations.

Investigational new drug applications

  • Automata's platform can help manage the data and documents required for IND applications. It ensures accurate and efficient data collection and reporting to regulatory agencies, facilitating the final step in the pre-clinical phase. LINQ has full data and sample tracking, and an audit trail for data integrity.

How the LINQ Platform works

From small steps to giant leaps: Automata adapts to your current automation journey

We understand that every organisation has unique needs, and that's why our platform is designed to be flexible and modular. With Automata, you can start small, addressing specific bottlenecks at any stage of your drug discovery journey, and then expand your automation initiatives as your needs evolve.

Explore our examples below: a smaller media exchange workcell, and an extended cell line development workcell. Whether you start small or expand, Automata's LINQ Cloud makes reprogramming and integrating extra automation seamless.

Automating media exchange in
cell culture workflows

Render of a cell culture media exchange workflow on linq bench

An image of LINQ automating a media exchange workflow

Unlocking scale in
cell line development

Render of a cell line devleopment workflow on linq bench

An image of a cell line development workflow set up and automated with LINQ

Further reading

A scientists looking at an imaginary holographic data board
Data and reproducibility: creating a single source of truth for your lab 

How can lab automation help ensure that the data we generate now...

Read more Data and reproducibility: creating a single source of truth for your lab 
ELISA assay validation: how automation can help

Find out how open, integrated automation can accelerate the ELISA validation process...

Read more ELISA assay validation: how automation can help
How to reduce downtime in a drug discovery lab

Downtime in drug discovery labs delay an already long and complex process....

Read more How to reduce downtime in a drug discovery lab

Explore other automation solutions

ELISA

Increase throughput and traceability while reducing errors with automated ELISA

High throughput screening

Automates complex compound screens with multiple analytic readouts and fewer errors with LINQ

Solutions for CROs

Transform the speed and quality of throughput and data with flexible automation

iPSC

Transform the output and reliability of your stem cell data with automation for iPSC cell culture workflows

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