Nicoya, a leading provider of advanced analytical instruments for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, recently launched Alto, the world’s first fully-automated, high-throughput benchtop surface plasmon resonance (SPR) system (see Figure 1). As the first-ever SPR instrument to integrate digital microfluidics (DMF), artificial intelligence (AI), and nanotechnology, Alto provides high quality, label-free interaction analysis. This breakthrough product reduces the time and cost of drug discovery, enabling scientists to better understand and cure human diseases faster.
Figure 1. Alto Instrument
What is Digital Microfluidics (DMF)?
DMF is a liquid-handling technology capable of accurately controlling and manipulating discrete nanoliter droplets with electricity. Fluidics are contained on a microwell plate and individual droplets can be split, mixed, merged, and dispensed to achieve a variety of sophisticated assay protocols (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: Cross Section of DMF Cartridge
Why DMF?
DMF solves the major limitation of scaling up throughput and automation of SPR technology, which is in the fluidic handling. The complexity of the fluidic system increases exponentially as you scale the number of samples/channels and level of assay automation - affecting the accuracy of the data and the long-term reliability of the instrument. This leads to significant instrument downtime and service costs, and limits applications to only using purified samples.
DMF fluidic handling technology removes the need for any physical pumps, valves, or tubes, and replaces them with a low-cost disposable cartridge that is compatible with the standard well-plate form factor. This enables highly accurate and repeatable measurements of kinetics and affinity, without labels and with extremely small sample volumes. DMF-powered SPR directly addresses the challenges associated with traditional SPR, enabling scientists to steer away from the conventional paradigm of transporting fluids through channels.
How does SPR work with DMF?
Nicoya has integrated its proprietary localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors into DMF cartridges, creating 16 independently addressable channels on a single cartridge (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. DMF offers precise liquid-handling with nanodroplets
DMF’s superior liquid handling abilities paired with Alto’s flexible and customizable software gives researchers precise control over interaction time, automatic serial dilutions, and data analysis (see Figure 4). It also reduces the cost and complexity of the instrument, making it accessible to all scientists.
Figure 4. The instantaneous switching from buffer to analyte enabled by DMF-SPR produces record rise times and responses in data. Red is DMF, Purple is traditional SPR.
DMF-Powered SPR to Accelerate Biomedical Research, Drug Discovery, and Development
With Alto’s digital approach to SPR, all fluidics are contained within the disposable cartridge, so scientists never have to run another cleaning cycle again. It also allows for precise handling of 2μL sample volumes for full kinetics, which is up to 500X less than the sample volume of traditional SPR instruments. Alto also ensures crude sample compatibility and requires no maintenance.
“We’ve spent years working with the world’s leading scientists and researchers to better understand the issues they experience with SPR, including high costs, low throughput, frequent downtime, and complex assay design requirements,” said Ryan Denomme, co-founder and CEO of Nicoya. “Alto is the third instrument we have released to date, but the first to use DMF technology for SPR, which solves all of these issues.”
Every aspect of Alto is designed to make it user friendly and accessible, from the flexible 16-channel design and automated serial dilutions to the seamless integration with robotics. With a state-of-the-art software solution featuring impressive AI-driven automation capabilities and flexibility, Alto provides sample-in/answer-out data, industry-leading throughput, and 24/7 runtime (see Figure 5).
Figure 5. Alto Software
“By combining the advantages of DMF technology with several other innovations, Alto significantly reduces the hands-on time scientists have to endure to get high-quality SPR data,” said Arjun Sudarsan, CTO of Nicoya. “The future of drug discovery is digital and Alto is very well positioned to lead the way.”
For additional information on Alto and its approach to accelerating drug discovery, visit www.alto.nicoyalife.com.
Ryan Denomme is the CEO and co-founder of Nicoya, a leading provider of advanced analytical instruments for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.