Transforming drug discovery research at the university of chicago via acoustic liquid handler-echo 650

The Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Office of the Director awarded The University of Chicago $350,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Research Infrastructure Programs (CFDA 93.351) to acquire and integrate an ECHO 650 acoustic liquid handler for the Cellular Screening Center.

The ECHO 650 employs acoustic droplet ejection technology to enable contactless, tip-free dispensing at nanoliter scales, supporting one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many drug dispensing configurations. The system will enable transition to 1536-well plate formats, increasing screening throughput and compound library capacity by an order of magnitude beyond current capabilities. The equipment will support assay designs including large-scale parallel IC50 measurement and orthogonal hit validation for NIH-funded research programs spanning cancer immunotherapy, infectious disease, genetics, cell biology, and multi-omics studies. Core facilities including Proteomics, Metabolomics, Genomics, Cytometry, Organoid and Primary Culture Research Cores, and the Center for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics will benefit from increased throughput, reproducibility, and assay miniaturization. The University of Chicago will provide institutional funding for integration of the ECHO 650 into the Cellular Screening Center automation deck to ensure long-term sustainability.

Performance occurs in Chicago, Illinois, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027. This is a Project Grant assistance type.

Abstract

The cellular screening center (CSC) at the university of chicago requests funding for the echo 650 acoustic liquid handler, a state-of-the-art technology that will fundamentally transform the operations and capabilities of our shared cellular screening center and other core facilities at our institution. Its advanced acoustic dispensing technology directly increases operational efficiency, productivity, and throughput, meeting the modernization and efficiency requirements outlined in the nofo. The echo 650 employs advanced acoustic droplet ejection to deliver unparalleled precision and flexibility in liquid handling, enabling contactless, tip-free dispensing at nanoliter scales. Its unique capability for one-to- one, one-to-many, and many-to-many drug dispensing will support innovative assay designs, including large- scale, parallel IC?? Measurement and robust orthogonal HIT validation. Critically, the echo 650 allows US to move into 1536-well plate formats, exponentially increasing speed and enabling the screening of compound libraries an order of magnitude greater than our current capacity. This equipment will serve a wide spectrum of NIH-funded research programs, ranging from translational research in cancer immunotherapy and infectious disease to fundamental studies in genetics, cell biology, and multi-omics. Core facilities including the proteomics, metabolomics, genomics, cytometry, organoid and primary culture research cores, and center for chemical biology and therapeutics will also realize significant benefits from increased throughput, reproducibility, and assay miniaturization. The university of chicago's strong institutional support-including funding for the integration of echo 650 into the CSC automation deck-ensures long-term sustainability and impact. Long-term, acquisition of the echo 650 will elevate CSC to the forefront of national research operations, enable transformative advances across basic and biomedical sciences, and empower the entire research community with modernized, efficient, and high-impact shared resource capabilities. Furthermore, the timing of this acquisition coincides with institutional planning for expanding centers and institutes related to drug discovery and therapeutics, in which this CSC will be vital to the success of these programs.