Facilities · Veyra Biofoundry
Veyra Biofoundry
Robotic liquid-handling platforms, automated compound management, and high-throughput screening for biological and chemical applications — operated by facility scientists and open to external clients on a service basis.
Overview
The Veyra Biofoundry (VBF) opened in 2019 as a dedicated platform for high-throughput biological and chemical experimentation. Unlike the Institute's other core facilities, the Biofoundry operates primarily as an operator-run service: clients define their assay or synthesis requirements, and Biofoundry scientists design and execute the workflow using the facility's robotic platforms. Self-access is available to trained internal users only.
The facility houses three Hamilton STAR liquid-handling robots, an automated compound storage and retrieval system (2 °C and −20 °C stores), a BioTek microplate reader stack with absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence detection, and an Echo 655 acoustic dispenser for nanolitre-volume compound transfers. The laboratory information management system (LIMS) tracks samples, reagents, and results throughout each workflow, and all data are delivered to clients in structured electronic formats.
The Biofoundry is managed by Dr. Ingrid Walcott, with three automation scientists (Priya Anand, Seun Okafor, and Dr. Thibault Morand) responsible for assay development, robot programming, and data analysis. Clients are assigned a named scientist for each project who serves as the primary point of contact from intake through delivery.
Platforms & instrumentation
| Platform | Manufacturer / Model | Capacity / throughput | Primary applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary liquid handler (×2) | Hamilton STAR 8-channel + 96-MPH | 96- and 384-well; 1 µL–1 mL pipetting range; on-deck incubator + plate hotel (50 plates) | Serial dilutions, reagent dispensing, sample reformatting, cell seeding, hit picking |
| Microplate liquid handler (×1) | Hamilton STAR 96-channel MPH | 384-well primary; 0.5 µL minimum volume; 15-plate deck | HTS dispensing, compound addition, high-throughput dilution series |
| Acoustic liquid dispenser | Labcyte Echo 655 | 2.5 nL–10 µL per droplet; 384- and 1536-well capable; contactless; DMSO compounds up to 40% | Compound dosing, nano-scale serial dilution, miniaturised HTS |
| Multimode plate reader stack (×2) | BioTek Synergy Neo2 (×2) | Absorbance 230–999 nm; fluorescence (Ex/Em); TRF; luminescence; FP; kinetics mode; 6- to 1536-well plates | Cell viability, ELISA, enzyme kinetics, reporter assays, cytotoxicity |
| Automated compound store (2 °C) | SPT Labtech mosaic (2 °C) | 100,000 tube positions; barcode-tracked; automated pick-and-place | Biological sample storage, assay reagent management |
| Automated compound store (−20 °C) | SPT Labtech mosaic (−20 °C) | 50,000 tube positions; barcode-tracked; integrated with LIMS for compound inventory | Compound library management, intermediate stock storage |
| Plate sealer / peeler | Brooks PlateLoc Thermal + PeelOff | Foil and film sealing; compatible with all standard SBS formats | Plate sealing for storage and transport; peeling before read steps |
| Centrifuge (plate) | Beckman Coulter Allegra X-30R | SBS-format plate buckets; 300–2000 × g; temperature control 4–40 °C | Cell pelleting, debris removal, spin-down before reading |
| CO₂ incubator stack | LiCONiC STX220 (4 units) | Humidity controlled; 37 °C ± 0.1 °C; 5% CO₂; capacity 50 SBS plates per unit; robot-integrated | Cell-based assay incubation, live-cell kinetic studies |
Services offered
Assay development
We design and optimise new biochemical or cell-based assays in 96-, 384-, or 1536-well formats. Starting from a client's described biology, we select appropriate detection mode, optimise reagent concentrations, validate with reference compounds, and establish a Z' factor ≥ 0.5 before proceeding to screening. Clients receive an assay validation report with all optimisation data.
Typical timeline: 3–8 weeks depending on assay complexity and cell line availability.
High-throughput screening (HTS)
We run compound libraries (client-supplied or from the Veyra compound collection, ~12,000 compounds) against validated assays. Single-concentration screening is standard; dose-response confirmation of hits is performed in the same workflow. Robotics handle compound dispensing, incubation, detection, and data capture; scientists review data quality and deliver a hit list with statistical analysis.
Throughput: up to 10,000 compounds per day in 384-well format.
Cell-based assays
We perform cell culture, transfection, compound treatment, and endpoint or kinetic detection for cell-based assays using the integrated incubator stack and plate reader. Supported assay types include cytotoxicity (CellTiter-Glo, resazurin), reporter gene (luciferase, GFP), caspase activation, and label-free impedance monitoring. Client-supplied cell lines are accepted after mycoplasma testing.
BSL-2 cell work is accommodated; BSL-3 is not within current facility scope.
Automated synthesis workflows
We support parallel synthesis in microplate format for small-molecule libraries, including Ugi reactions, reductive aminations, and amide coupling. Synthesis steps are integrated with automated workup, solvent exchange, and concentration steps using on-deck evaporators. Product quality is monitored by LC-MS (in-house or via the Spectroscopy Core). Typical plate sizes: 24- to 96-compounds per run.
Contact biofoundry@veyra.example for feasibility discussion before committing to a project.
Sample management & reformatting
We provide compound library management, plate reformatting between different SBS formats, serial dilution series preparation, and daughter-plate generation from primary compound stores. Barcode tracking throughout ensures full chain of custody. Large reformatting projects (1,000+ plates) can be accommodated with advance scheduling.
Data & LIMS
All experimental data are captured in the Biofoundry LIMS (LabVantage 8.7) and delivered to clients as structured exports (CSV, Excel, or SD file). Raw plate-reader data, QC metrics (CV, Z', S/B), hit calls, and dose-response curves are included as standard. Data are archived in the LIMS for five years post-project; clients receive a copy at project close.
Related resources
Service
Scientific & Analytical Services
Bioanalytics service line, including protein quantification, metabolomics, and ELISA — all run on Biofoundry platforms.
View service →Facility
Spectroscopy & Analytical Core
LC-MS and NMR for purity analysis and structural confirmation of synthesised compounds.
View facility →Service
Contract Research
Longer-term sponsored projects embedding Biofoundry capacity within a client research programme.
View service →