New Automated Compound Storage Capacity Secured for Compounds Australia

19 April 2018

Compounds Australia at Griffith University announced today that it has finalised the purchase of the state-of-the-art Hamilton Verso M3 automated compound storage system, part of the Hit ID Platform supported by the MTPConnect Project Fund Program.

Based at the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD, Griffith University), the Hamilton Verso M3 complements Compounds Australia’s suite of sophisticated compound management and logistics infrastructure and will provide storage for 10,000 plates and 430,000 tubes under tightly regulated environmental conditions. The system will be installed in mid-2018.

The Hamilton Verso M3 offers an automated sample storage system with a flexible internal configuration to accommodate a wide range of labware and seamless integration with liquid handling robotics.

“The acquisition of the Hamilton Verso M3 Store delivers on Compounds Australia’s commitment to support world class Australian drug discovery research through high quality compound management and logistics,” says Compounds Australia’s Manager Moana Simpson.

The Verso M3 will house the new Australian Drug Discovery Library, which forms part of the Hit ID Platform being supported by MTPConnect and led by Cancer Therapeutics CRC in consortium with UniQuest through its drug discovery initiative QEDDI, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Children's Cancer Institute, and Griffith University. The comprehensive Hit ID Platform will provide a fit-for-purpose drug discovery library (up to 300,000 compounds) that will be made available to Consortium members and the wider Australian drug discovery community.

Additional capacity will also be available to house new compound collections on behalf of new and existing clients.

GRIDD Director Professor Jenny Martin says, “Compounds Australia is a unique national facility that has facilitated the drug discovery efforts of Australian researchers for almost a decade. The purchase of the Hamilton Verso M3 is indicative of Griffith University’s strong and ongoing commitment to Compounds Australia.”

Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Ned Pankhurst says the system will further GRIDD’s work and reputation in ground-breaking drug discovery.

“Our unique resources, dedicated researchers and international partners create an ideal context for drug discovery that drives our search for revolutionary new treatments,” he said.

The Verso M3 Store was purchased with assistance from MTPConnect (2016 Funding Round- Hit ID Platform Project) and the Griffith University Research Infrastructure Support program.

Compounds Australia welcomes inquiries from new and existing clients interested in accessing new compound storage capacity and assay-ready plating services.