Biological Screening Lab
Accelerating discovery through high-throughput screening and advanced assay technologies
Overview
The Biological Screening Lab provides researchers within and outside VCU access to high-throughput screening and assay development resources.
The lab maintains several compound libraries with diverse chemical structures, including the ApexBio library of FDA-approved molecules (2,000 compounds) and the MyriaScreen II Diversity Library from Sigma Aldrich (10,000 compounds, molecular weight 120–500 Da). Together, these 12,000 compounds support both high-throughput and biophysical analysis.
Collaborative capabilities extend through the lab of Dana Selley, Ph.D., in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, which conducts radioligand binding assays, G-protein activation ([35S]GTPγS binding), immunoblotting and second messenger assays such as cAMP. Core equipment in this lab includes harvesters for binding assays, liquid scintillation counters, a luminescence plate reader, robotic pipettor, centrifuge, UV/visible spectrophotometer and cell culture facilities.
Equipment
Pricing
| Instrument name | Internal (USD) | External (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Clariostar | $15 | $30 |
| BioTek MultiFlo FX | $20 | $40 |
| Combidrop NL | $20 | $40 |
| Echo | $20 | $40 |
| MST (Nanotemper) | $290 (with training and supplies) | $380 (with training and supplies) |
| Cytation 5 | $15 | $30 |
| Labor | $30 | $60 |
| Compounds | 10 cents per well per µL | 20 cents per well per µL |
Members
- Lead: Yana Cen, Ph.D.
- Aaron May, Ph.D.
- Dana Selley, Ph.D.
- Xuewei Wang, Ph.D.
- Shijun Zhang, Ph.D.