Project Grant S15OD042566

The Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Office of the Director awarded Vanderbilt University $250,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Research Infrastructure Programs (CFDA 93.351) to acquire an ASFA Spotter V6.7 HE automated liquid handling system for the Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology High-Throughput Screening Core Facility.

The equipment addresses a critical bottleneck in scaling organoid and other three-dimensional culture models for high-throughput and high-content screening. The contact-free, pressure-pulsed droplet ejection system dispenses nanoliter volumes with high precision, supports 384- and 1536-well plate formats, maintains onboard cooling to preserve temperature-sensitive matrices, and achieves uniform droplets with minimal dead volume. Existing tip-based liquid handlers and single-channel dispensers lack temperature control, are incompatible with high-viscosity hydrogels, generate excessive dead volumes, and cannot support ultra-low-volume or high-density plate formats. The spotter enables investigators to use physiologically relevant human-derived organoid models that provide alternatives to animal studies and align with the NIH's New Approach Methodologies initiative and FDA Modernization Act 2.0.

Performance takes place in Nashville, Tennessee, with a period of performance through August 31, 2027. This is a project grant (assistance type), and Vanderbilt University's Sponsored Programs Administration division manages the award.