Core 1 - Assay Development, Adaptation, and Implementation
Southern Research has developed processes and protocols for numerous assays for primary and secondary screening of infectious agents. Each of these screens uses the live agent in their processes and consequently requires BSL-2 or BSL-3 for assay procedures. Depending on the stage of interaction with the SRSBSC, we can offer guidance to the Assay Provider in pre-proposal efforts and submission of grant applications.
Upon award and assignment to the SRSBSC, Core 1 efforts begin with evaluation of the assay for compatibility with HTS plate formats, liquid handler limitations, and automated endpoint detection equipment. We work directly with the Assay Provider to reproduce and validate the screen with a small library to ensure statistical reproducibility following the format detailed in NCGC Assay Guidance Manual v4.1. In addition to primary screens, secondary screens for probe optimization and characterization may be developed to evaluate specific hits in collaboration with the Assay Provider through the probe production phase.
