Cell Screen SA facility

Cell Screen SA (CeSSA) is a fee-for-service facility that provides services in high throughput screening of compounds or RNAi on cell-culture or enzymatic based models of disease. 

We run screening projects with established assays that have either a plate reader (Ensight) or imaging (Operetta) based endpoint. 

We can also use our robotic equipment to automate other methods used in laboratory research (e.g. ELISA).  Only CeSSA staff operate our equipment. 

• Ensight: Multimode plate reader for absorbance, fluorescence, luminescence, time-resolved fluorescence and, uniquely, AlphaLISA^® assay measurement.
• Operetta^®: High-content imaging system for high-throughput imaging and image analysis. Brightfield, fluorescence, confocal and non-confocal microscope.
• Janus^®: Liquid handler for complex pipetting procedures. Range from nano to microliters. 8-tip Varispan™ for multi-tipped processing from tubes to vials to plates. Also has a 96-tip Modular Dispense Technology (MDT) dispense arms for liquid handling on 96 and 384 well plates.
• Biotek: Plate aspiration and dispense. Dispenser for variable volume dispensing of liquid through columns or rows.
• Cell:Explorer^TM(plate::handler): Robotic arm for movement of plates between all instruments allowing automated workflows for high-throughput screening applications or time-course imaging.
• We also have ample bench space, two CO₂ and temperature controlled incubators, a biohazard hood and laminar flow cabinet.

All instruments can be used integrated for complete automation but can also be used separately.

Due to the complexity of our instruments, their use requires extensive training and experience and their use is retricted to CeSSA staff.