Disease Modelling and Screening Platform

The Disease Modelling & Screening Platform (DMSP) provides infrastructure and research activities related to early drug discovery by implementing cell and organoid-based phenotypic screening.

This platform is a collaboration between the LCSB and the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) that combines expertise in high-content imaging (HCI) and lab automation with cellular disease modelling. The equipment is located at the LCSB Biotech II (BT2) building.

The ultimate goal of DMSP is to facilitate the identification of disease vulnerabilities, unveil target mechanisms or identify drug candidates for the consequent translation of findings into personalised cures

Services

Establishment of experimental setups suitable for high-contrast and high-throughput imaging in 2D and 3D cell cultures
Morphological profiling of cellular models treated with different experimental perturbations

High-throughput drug screening
EMA and FDA drug libraries for candidate identification
Result validation in DRC with IC50 assessment

Feasibility study and strategic experiment planning tailored to each project
Data analysis and contribution to publications and grant proposals

Technologies

High-content microscope and automated image analysis

A confocal high-content microscope (CV8000, Yokogawa) is at the epicenter of our fully automated system. HCS is directed at retrieving multi-parametric readouts to produce rich phenotypic profiles to frame cell and organoid patient-specific features, like responses to chemical or genetic perturbations, as well as obtaining signatures of disease that can be utilized to fuel precision medicine.
Integrated automation

Our automated system is equipped with two liquid handlers workstations, Biomek NXp and Biomek FXp, complemented by two incubators all integrated as a system by a precision automated robotic arm. An acoustic droplet ejector (Labcyte Echo550) enables to dispense compounds into various plate formats. An SpectraMax i3 multimode plate reader allows automated fluorescence and luminescence-based assays.
Satellite modules

Additional devices can be used in assay development, optimisation of protocols, and their miniturization for automation. Fully equipped manual cell culture facility composed by two biosafety cabinets class II, four incubators and additional devices necessary for cell or organoid culture.