Basel, 2003/07/16
Genedata and Roche Basel today announced the successful testing of Genedata Screener AssayAnalyzer and its use as one software tool in Roche's high throughput screening (HTS) analysis workflow. The software, used for the quality control and large-scale processing of raw assay data, has proven very valuable for scientists in their efforts to detect and remedy problems in the screening process. Equally important is the improvement in the quality of primary assay data – a critical, decisive factor in the whole drug discovery pipeline. Roche Pharma Basel has evaluated AssayAnalyzer as a tool for the first steps of day-to-day HTS analysis to ensure the high quality of assay data before publishing it to the company's databases and using it for hit selection and compound profiling.
"We are very pleased to have Roche as another key customer that has successfully tested our novel methods in screening data analysis. Roche's excellence in state-of-the-art screening technology and their scientific spirit has provided us with important feedback for creating a perfect match between the Screener system and progress in screening technology, and for optimally supporting efficient HTS data analysis," says Dr. Stephan Heyse, project leader for Screener.
"I obtain better hits with less effort," remarks Dr. Alain Gast, HTS lab head responsible for radioactive technologies. "In addition to its processing and visualization power, AssayAnalyzer's sophisticated error detection and adaptive pattern correction algorithms have led to an increase in data quality that manifests itself in increased hit verification rates of up to twofold for particular screens."
"AssayAnalyzer performs the routine data normalization, correction, and rejection of low-quality data. Since it provides a suitable export format, I can continue to use my existing data visualization tool for further characterization of active compounds. The integration of AssayAnalyzer's high-quality output data into our visualization tool is very easy," says Dr. Joergen Nielsen, lab head HTS of biochemical assays. "In our collaboration with Genedata, I have also come to appreciate the excellent scientific relationship. They are open to new ideas and respond quickly. For example, they developed and implemented the appropriate data analysis algorithms for one of our new screening technologies within two weeks."
"Screener AssayAnalyzer has given me a highly efficient way of collecting and analyzing HTS results," says Martin Graf, lab head HTS of cell-based assays at Roche. "My technicians and I now use it daily to monitor the HTS process and evaluate experimental improvements. With AssayAnalyzer it takes me less than half an hour to fully analyze the results of a screen of several hundred thousand compounds and to submit the results for transfer to our screening database. The data transfer procedure was established by Genedata and efficiently integrates AssayAnalyzer with our downstream process. In summary, I obtain better data quality in less time. Therefore, we are extremely satisfied and look forward to continuing the partnership."