Automated, Label-free MALDI-MS-based Cell Assays: From Feasibility Study to High-Throughput Screening

Mechanistic and phenotypic MALDI-MS-based cell assays are an emerging technology for compound screening and profiling. Due to its robustness and high-throughput capability it is indispensable for a variety of applications in life sciences, chemical biology and pharmaceutical research, e.g. the discovery of enzyme inhibitors or the characterization of protein-ligand interactions.

This course introduces to MALDI MS and covers recent advances in cell-based assays for the determination of compound uptake or drug actions using MALDI-MS and provides an overview of the modern technology for whole cell phenotyping. This includes an overview of MALDI-MS-based cell assays from its first used in research towards high-throughput applications. Participants will learn how to develop, optimize and validate MS-based cell assays, including tips and tricks in cell-treatment, sample preparation and transfer to the MALDI device, quantification using stable-isotope-labeled standards, MALDI-TOF data acquisition and data analysis. Furthermore, a special focus will be on lab-automation systems mandatory for high-throughput applications.

Who Should Attend?

• Anyone new to the topic of MALDI-MS-based cell assay development for drug discovery and compound screening
• Laboratory scientists who want to gain insights into recent advances in MS-based HTS screening technologies for pharmaceutical research
• Individuals that are new to the emerging field of MALDI assays

Course Benefits

• Gain a fundamental understanding of MALDI-MS technology for early drug discovery
• Get an overview of the emerging key-technology of MALDI-TOF cell assays as well as modern case studies
• Learn how to set up a cell-based MALDI assays including important do’s and don’ts “directly from the lab”
• Receive guidance on how to evaluate quality of MALDI cell-based assays
• insight into modern lab-automation instruments for PoC and fully automated high-throughput screening using MALDI-MS

Course Topics

• Fundamentals of Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry
• MALDI MS-based cell assay development
• Lab automation instruments and workflows
• Handling cells for MALDI assays
• Challenges and limitations of MALDI assays
• Overview of research and industrial applications

Instructors

Björn Fröhlich Ph.D.
Center for Mass Spectrometry and Optical Spectroscopy (CeMOS) 
Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Germany

Björn Fröhlich, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Mass Spectrometry and Optical Spectroscopy at the University of Applied Sciences in Mannheim, Germany. His current work focusses on establishing and automating various proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics workflows, while his previous research revolved around developing automated immunoassays coupled with MALDI-TOF MS analysis for protein quantitation in plasma and tissue samples. He has seven years of experience in combining liquid-handling automation with mass spectrometry.

Steven van Helden, Ph.D.
Pivot Park Screening Centre (PPSC)

Steven van Helden, Ph.D., was trained as a computational chemist and has worked in various roles within the pharmaceutical industry since 1992. In 2003, he became head of Organon’s HTS group and after the closure of the research site he developed a business plan to continue the screening activities in a new company. This led to the Pivot Park Screening Centre (PPSC) where he is now Chief Technology Officer. Apart from his work at PPSC, Steven is actively involved in The European Lead Factory and in the Society for Lab Automation and Screening.