Short Description
PLACEBO, the Platform Austria for Chemical Biology at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austria Academy of Sciences, provides researchers in Austria with access to chemical biology resources including a 92,000 compound library, high-throughput and high-content screening and chemical proteomics to identify and characterize small molecules that affect new targets for studying biological processes and developing new drugs.
Contact Person
Dr. Stefan Kubicek
Research Services
The PLACEBO lab includes a versatile screening system that integrates both high-content and high-throughput capabilities. The cell explorer robotic automated platform has two precision robots for plate handling, using 96-well & 384-well plates. There are different liquid transfer options including acoustic (Labcyte Echo 550) and automated pipette based transfer (Janus) as well as bulk-dispensing and plate washing facilities (BioTek). Plates can be lidded or sealed/desealed automatically. There is a Liconic incubator with variable temperatures and carbon dioxide which renders the system compatible with phenotypic screens. Readout systems include a plate reader for fluorescence, absorbance and luminescence measurements. A Perkin Elmer Operetta high-content automated confocal microscope and a Roche qPCR Light Cycler 480 II are also available within the system. A comprehensive software allows for maximum flexibility in assay development. Finally there is a Luminex Flex Map 3D reader for gene expression based screening. The system is shielded within a HEPA-filter enclosure.
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
The Platform Austria for Chemical Biology (PLACEBO) was initiated as a partnership between CeMM and seven other Austrian research groups, funded under the Gen-AU program of the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research. The project has developed into a long-term initiative open to the wider scientific community on a collaborative basis.