Proof-of-Concept Collaboration to Mitigate Automation Risk
Exploring automation comes with uncertainty—will it improve efficiency, integrate seamlessly, and deliver ROI?
Partnering with Arimation for a proof of concept (PoC) provides a structured approach to testing solutions in a controlled, collaborative environment. By leveraging our expertise in engineering, prototyping, and automation design, companies can validate feasibility, refine requirements, and minimize risk before committing to full-scale implementation.
CASE STUDY: PoC for Drug Discovery Testing
CHALLENGE
National Association for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) needed an advanced technology solution for molecular engagement studies in drug discovery testing. Existing methods were either too complex and costly or lacked the necessary throughput, data points, and accuracy. While NCATS had deep scientific expertise, they required a strong technical partner to develop a specialized instrument as a proof-of-concept for further testing and refinement.
SOLUTION
During the PoC phase, Arimation collaborated with NCATS to design, source, and build a prototype instrument tailored to the improved drug discovery approach. This instrument became a core component of the Real-time Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (RT-CETSA), incorporating three key innovations to enhance traditional CETSA systems:
A thermally stable ThermLuc luciferase reporter fused to a target of interest (TOI), transfected into cells.
An instrument capable of recording luminescence while heating all TOI-ThermLuc transfected cells simultaneously in each well.
A novel nonparametric comparative analysis, improving upon single-parameter measurement limitations.
The final prototype integrated multiple automation components, including:
A vision system for precise monitoring
Top and bottom plate heaters for uniform thermal control
A PC-based control system with customizable process control recipes
Discrete and analog input/output thresholds
Automated data and image collection parameters
Throughout the PoC, NCATS and Arimation worked closely to refine the prototype, allowing NCATS to conduct controlled experiments and validate the feasibility of this advanced drug discovery method.
VALUE & IMPACT
By testing with the RT-CETSA prototype instrument, NCATS achieved throughput improvements of up to 200:1 compared to traditional CETSA methods. Additionally, RT-CETSA expanded data measurement capacity by 34:1, significantly increasing the depth and quality of collected data.
This early-stage RT-CETSA solution has demonstrated strong potential for integration into the early drug discovery pipeline, reducing costs while improving speed and data accuracy. The PoC approach allowed NCATS to mitigate risk, optimize design, and position themselves for a scalable automation solution.