RainDance Technologies announced today the launch of the dScreen Consortium, a research initiative conducted with sanofi-aventis, Paris, and Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg, France, to develop the next generation of high-throughput screening (HTS) for drug discovery applications. The consortium was founded with the assistance of the ALSACE BIOVALLEY(TM) cluster, France, which helped secure financing and support for the program. The expected gains in terms of productivity and knowledge should accelerate the drug discovery programs.
The dScreen Consortium assembles the renowned drug screening expertise of sanofi-aventis, the unique expertise in droplet-based micro reactors of the Chemical Biology Laboratory at the Institute for Science and Supramolecular Engineering (ISIS) in Louis Pasteur University, and RainDance Technologies' unique capabilities to apply droplet-based microfluidic technologies to human health and disease research.
"We are delighted to enter this partnership with two highly innovative research groups in this rapidly advancing field," said Martin Galvan Ph.D., Scientific Director at the sanofi-aventis research site in Strasbourg. "The expected gains in terms of productivity and knowledge should significantly accelerate our drug discovery programs."
Based in the Alsace Biovalley in Strasbourg, the consortium will utilize the picoliter volumes and ultra-high-speed capabilities of RainDance's technology and systems to achieve breakthrough performance in high-throughput drug screening methodologies.
"This exciting project represents the first research collaboration undertaken by our new RainDance Technologies France SARL subsidiary," said Chris McNary, President and Chief Executive Officer of RainDance Technologies. "The simplicity, speed and minute volume of our technology replace current complex automation solutions in high-throughput screening. Our technology will process 10 million droplets per hour on a single benchtop instrument, dramatically accelerating the drug discovery process while conserving precious screening compounds," added McNary.
"This project is an excellent opportunity to develop the compartmentalisation of reactions in emulsion droplets for an entirely new field of application: HTS for drug discovery," said Andrew Griffiths, head of the Chemical Biology Laboratory at ISIS.
"The dScreen Consortium is a great illustration of the 'Pole de Competitivite' policy in France: the development of breakthrough innovations in drug screening through collaborative R&D programs results in strengthening local actors such as the sanofi-aventis research site and in the creation of a U.S. subsidiary company in Alsace. Furthermore, the establishment of a drug screening services platform based on the results of the program will reinforce the capabilities of our cluster," said Pascal Neuville, President of ALSACE BIOVALLEY.