The Laboratory Robotics Interest Group
Topical Group of the North Jersey
American Chemical Society
February 1997 Meeting
Theme: Combinatorial Chemistry
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 1997
Place: Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation,
Raritan, NJ
Itinerary: Social Hour and Poster Session, Auditorium - 5:30 to 6:30 PM
Presentations
and Discussion, Auditorium - 6:30 to 8:00 PM
Managing Compound Library Production Through Automated Workstation-Based Systems
Richard A. Wildonger and James B. Campbell
Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wilmington, DE
Lead Discovery Department, Chemical Technology Section
The advent of combinatorial libraries has infused the pharmaceutical industry with a novel
set of tools to expedite drug discovery. Thus, parallel methods of synthesis and
combinatorial, or mixture synthesis, coupled with high-throughput screening have greatly
enhanced capabilities in identifying novel drug candidates of higher quality, and with
greater rapidity, than ever before. Automation is central to the efficient implementation
of compound library synthesis. We shall describe some of our initiatives to develop
compound library production systems for managing the numerous processes involved in high
through-put chemical synthesis. We believe that single and multi-tasking automated modules
can systematize and increase the efficiency of the various processes which provide the
framework of chemical library synthesis system. Thus, modules used for reagent
preparation, bar-code labeling of reagent and reaction containers, reagent transfer
modules, off-line incubation stations and post-reaction processing stations can all be
integrated to define a library synthesis system. Progress on implementation of such
synthesis systems dedicated to library production will be reviewed.
Microvolume Screening of Combinatorial Libraries in High-Density Microtiter Plates
Jonathan J. Burbaum and Rhett Affleck
Pharmacopeia, Inc., Princeton, NJ
High-throughput screening (HTS) is a well-established method for the discovery of new
pharmaceuticals. HTS is now becoming a focus for technological development because of
significant advances in both combinatorial chemistry and genomics, which are increasing
both the number of compounds and the number of targets. Pharmacopeia is pursuing a HTS-New
Technologies (HTS-NT) system, which revolves around microliter volume assays in 1536-well
microtiter plates. This system has clear benefits not only to Pharmacopeia’s drug
discovery efforts, but also in many other arenas: Lower volume bioassays are widely
advantageous, conserving both target reagents and compound collections. Reductions in
volume also allow samples to be arrayed at higher densities to increase sample throughput.
This system presents a number of technological challenges to both biologists and
engineers. A wide range of bioassays, including enzymatic, receptor binding, and
cell-based assays need to be addressed in a microvolume format. Further, to carry out
these assays in an efficient manner, improvements in liquid handling and detection, as
well as the design and molding of new containers, will need to be implemented. We will
discuss Pharmacopeia’s approach toward meeting these challenges.
Poster: Automated Solution Preparation and Distribution of Chemical Compounds at
Merck using the Packard MultiPROBE?/b>
Collette S. DeChard
Merck and Company, Rahway, NJ
Poster: Nanoliter Pipetting in Drug Discovery
Roeland Papen and Al Kolb
Packard Instrument Company, Meriden, CT
Members interested in presenting a poster are encouraged to do so. Please contact any
of the LRIG officers. Open career positions at your company may be announced or posted at
the meetings.
The exciting news this month is that the LRIG now has a web site! Check us out at
http://www.lab-robotics.com
We offer meeting announcements, a message board, and career opportunities. There are also
many links to industry related meetings and conferences, automation web sites, newsgroups,
manufacturers, consultants, and our members’ companies. Email is becoming very
important to us as we try to keep mailing costs down. If you have an email address, please
either log on to the web site and leave us a message or send email to [email protected].
Directions to Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Corporation
From Newark Airport (40 miles/approx. 50 minutes)
Follow Route 78 West to Exit 29 (Route 287 South) ?Continue on Route 287 South to Exit
13 (Routes 202/206 South) ?Take Routes 202/206 South to the Somerville Circle ?See
below * for directions to J&J facilities.
From JFK Airport (55 miles/approx. 80 minutes)
Follow general exit road (Route 678 North/Van Wyck Expressway) to Belt (Shore) Parkway
West ?Continue on Belt (Shore) Parkway West to Exit 3 (Verrazano-Narrows Bridge/Route
278 West) ?Cross Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and continue on Route 278 West/Staten Island
Expressway to Exit 9 (West Shore Expressway/Route 440 West) ?Stay on 440 West across the
Outerbridge Crossing into New Jersey ?Route 440 West becomes Route 287 North ?Travel
on Route 287 North to Exit 10 (Route 22 West) ?Take Route 22 West to Routes 202/206
South and to the Somerville Circle ?See below * for directions to J&J facilities.
From LaGuardia Airport (60 miles/approx. 85 minutes)
Follow signs to Grand Central Parkway West/New York City/Triborough Bridge (center lane)
?Cross Triborough Bridge, move to left lane, and take the Major Deegan Expressway/Route
87 North to George Washington Bridge/Route 95 West ?Cross George Washington Bridge and
follow Route 95 West to the New Jersey Turnpike South ?Continue on the New Jersey
Turnpike South to Exit 14 (Route 78 West) ?Travel on Route 78 West to Exit 29 (Route 287
South) ?Continue on Route 287 South to Exit 13 (Routes 202/206 South) ?Take Routes
202/206 South to the Somerville Circle ?See below * for directions to J&J
facilities.
From New York City (50 miles/approx. 60 minutes)
Take the Lincoln Tunnel to the New Jersey Turnpike South to Exit 14 (Route 78 West) ?[Or, the Holland Tunnel to the New Jersey Turnpike Extension to Exit 14 (Route 78 West)]
?Follow Route 78 West to Exit 29 (Route 287 South) ?Continue on Route 287 South to
Exit 13 (Routes 202/206 South) ?Take Routes 202/206 South to the Somerville Circle ?See below * for directions to J&J facilities.
From Philadelphia (55 miles/approx. 90 minutes)
Take Route 95 North (which becomes 295 South) follow to Exit 69 (Route 206 North) ?Follow Route 206 North to the Somerville Circle ?See below * for directions to J&J
facilities.
* To J&J facilities from the Somerville Circle
Take Route 202 South 1/2 mile to the second traffic light ?J&J facilities are on the
right are, in order, Ortho Biotech (#700); PRI (#920); and Ortho Pharmaceutical
Corporation (#1000) ?PRI’s Protein Development Center is located behind PRI
on Ortho Drive, (the road leading west into the campus), and the Child Development Center
is situated farther west on the same road ?The building also can be reached by following
Route 28 West at the Somerville Circle and turning left onto Ortho Drive.
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