Molecular Devices launches custom organoid line expansion service using unique bioprocess technology for high-throughput applications

Patent-pending bioprocess has the potential to produce tens of millions of quality-controlled organoids per batch

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 20, 2023 – Molecular Devices, LLC., a leading high-performance life science solutions provider, continues industrializing biology with its organoid line expansion services to support next-generation drug discovery. The offering leverages proprietary bioreactor and bioprocess technology to scale up the production of standardized, assay-ready organoids originating from customer-supplied organoid lines or patient-derived xenografts (PDX). It is the first commercialized service tied to the company’s acquisition of Cellesce in late 2022.

Growing organoids manually can present significant challenges for researchers. The most common problem is an inability to produce sufficient organoids with minimal variability in quality and size, for high-throughput applications such as drug screening. Batch-to-batch consistency is also virtually impossible without the repeatable processes employed in a regulated industrial environment.

“Our semi-automated patent-pending bioprocess uses controlled conditions to expand customers’ organoid lines to their desired specifications, making available enough reliable, high-quality organoids for large-scale screening of massive compound libraries,” said Shantanu Dhamija, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, Molecular Devices. “This unique service will allow researchers to screen thousands to tens of thousands of drug candidates in parallel on organoids from the same batch, increasing statistical power and enabling the discovery of new therapeutics cost-effectively, faster, and with fewer failures.”

After large-batch expansion, the bioprocess-grown organoids are cryopreserved and supplied back to the customer for storage as customized assay-ready vials. The organoids can be plated at the customers’ convenience, treated with drugs, and imaged or used in an end-point assay, providing data to researchers within as little as seven to 10 days.

Drug efficacy and toxicity testing traditionally rely on 2D cell cultures due to their accessibility, low cost, and scalability despite the models lacking physiological relevance, as indicated by the high attrition rate in drug discovery pipelines. Organoids offer significant benefits over 2D monolayer cultures as a research platform, as they can recapitulate the architecture, physiology, and underlying genetic signature of primary tissues. Studies show that 3D cancer organoids can accurately mimic the response of patients they were derived from when treated with the same drugs, proving a suitable platform for testing the effectiveness of unknown compounds against a particular disease.

For more information on the new custom organoid expansion service from Molecular Devices, visit the webpage here.

About Molecular Devices, LLC.

Molecular Devices is one of the world's leading providers of high-performance bioanalytical measurement systems, software and consumables for life science research, pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic development. Included within a broad product portfolio are platforms for high-throughput screening, genomic and cellular analysis, colony selection and microplate detection. These leading-edge products enable scientists to improve productivity and effectiveness, ultimately accelerating research and the discovery of new therapeutics. Molecular Devices is committed to the continual development of innovative solutions for life science applications. The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California with offices around the globe. Visit Molecular Devices at www.moleculardevices.com.