TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Automated High Throughput Screening Platform
Closed Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- IL-13845
- Agency
-
Department of Energy
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
- Place of performance
- Livermore, California, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS) under a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, has issued a Special Notice regarding an innovative automated high throughput screening platform technology. The notice focuses on a novel method for rapidly screening and evaluating biological entities, specifically targeting antibody development and interaction characterization. The technology utilizes an integrated system combining cell-free protein synthesis, microencapsulation, and optical interrogation techniques. LLNL has developed this platform using advanced AI tools and experimental methodologies to significantly reduce the time required for protein and antibody screening from weeks to days. The Special Notice was published on January 6, 2025, with a response deadline of February 6, 2025.
The primary objective of this Special Notice is to seek industry partners capable of commercializing this advanced screening technology, which is currently at Technology Readiness Level 2 (TRL-2). LLNL is specifically looking for companies with demonstrated expertise in bringing complex technological innovations to market. Interested companies must submit an electronic or written statement of interest that includes their company name, contact information, and a description of their corporate capabilities relevant to commercializing the technology. The platform offers significant advantages, including integrated protein production, microencapsulation of thousands of reactions, and rapid optical interrogation, with potential applications spanning antibody development, molecular interaction screening, protein synthesis, and directed evolution. Potential partners should note this is not a procurement opportunity but a technology transfer and commercialization initiative. Companies interested in participating must carefully follow the submission guidelines, including using the appropriate subject heading when responding and directing their statement to LLNL's Innovation and Partnerships Office.
Notice text
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
Opportunity:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop its automated high throughput screening platform.
Background:
Proteins, including antibodies, are increasingly becoming important as therapeutics. LLNL has developed an in silico antibody design platform based on AI tools. The approach requires experimental evaluation of in silico designed antibodies, which currently takes several weeks. There is a need to overcome this shortcoming and develop an automated and integrated platform that can accomplish this task rapidly.
Description:
LLNL inventors have developed a method and device for the high throughput screening of various chemical and biological entities using a novel combination of cell-free protein synthesis (in vitro transcription-translation), microencapsulation and optical interrogation. This includes automated sample handling, microemulsions, microfluidics manipulation, machine vision, and fluorescent interrogation. This automated system can be used to partition analytes into thousands of independent microdroplet reactions that are tracked and optically interrogated for assay activity. Since timing of droplet generation and position are known, an n-dimensional pooling strategy can be performed to increase screening throughput over the traditional 1:1 assay method. An optical interrogation method such as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) can provide highly quantitative information for each reaction in real time (e.g., affinity constant for novel antibodies), significantly increasing the precision and quality of data that informs future models and experiments. The approach outlined will enable the feedback loop from experimental evaluations to occur in about 3 days rather than 6 weeks, thereby enabling high quality antibody designs in weeks rather than months.
Advantages/Benefits:
The major advantages of the invention are: (i) integration of making protein (cell-free system), microencapsulation to generate thousands of reactions, and interrogation to characterize interactions into a single device; (ii) rapid turnaround; and (iii) cost saving by using analytes and reagents in small volumes.
Potential Applications:
The invention has numerous applications such as antibody development, large and small molecule functionality screening, cell-free protein synthesis development and monitoring, protein-small molecule, protein-nucleic acid and protein-protein interactions, directed evolution, cell killing assays, protein production, and stability monitoring.
Development Status:
Current stage of technology development: TRL-2
LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention.
LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information.
Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.
Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's Automated High Throughput Screening Platform should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:
- Company Name and address.
- The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.
- A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.
Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's automated high throughput screening technology.
The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below.
Written responses should be directed to:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Innovation and Partnerships Office
P.O. Box 808, L-779
Livermore, CA 94551-0808
Attention: IL-13845
Update #1 ·
Opportunity:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop its automated high throughput screening platform.
Background:
Proteins, including antibodies, are increasingly becoming important as therapeutics. LLNL has developed an in silico antibody design platform based on AI tools. The approach requires experimental evaluation of in silico designed antibodies, which currently takes several weeks. There is a need to overcome this shortcoming and develop an automated and integrated platform that can accomplish this task rapidly.
Description:
LLNL inventors have developed a method and device for the high throughput screening of various chemical and biological entities using a novel combination of cell-free protein synthesis (in vitro transcription-translation), microencapsulation and optical interrogation. This includes automated sample handling, microemulsions, microfluidics manipulation, machine vision, and fluorescent interrogation. This automated system can be used to partition analytes into thousands of independent microdroplet reactions that are tracked and optically interrogated for assay activity. Since timing of droplet generation and position are known, an n-dimensional pooling strategy can be performed to increase screening throughput over the traditional 1:1 assay method. An optical interrogation method such as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) can provide highly quantitative information for each reaction in real time (e.g., affinity constant for novel antibodies), significantly increasing the precision and quality of data that informs future models and experiments. The approach outlined will enable the feedback loop from experimental evaluations to occur in about 3 days rather than 6 weeks, thereby enabling high quality antibody designs in weeks rather than months.
Advantages/Benefits:
The major advantages of the invention are: (i) integration of making protein (cell-free system), microencapsulation to generate thousands of reactions, and interrogation to characterize interactions into a single device; (ii) rapid turnaround; and (iii) cost saving by using analytes and reagents in small volumes.
Potential Applications:
The invention has numerous applications such as antibody development, large and small molecule functionality screening, cell-free protein synthesis development and monitoring, protein-small molecule, protein-nucleic acid and protein-protein interactions, directed evolution, cell killing assays, protein production, and stability monitoring.
Development Status:
Current stage of technology development: TRL-2
LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention.
LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information.
Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.
Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's Enter Title should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:
- Company Name and address.
- The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.
- A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.
Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's automated high throughput screening technology.
The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below.
Written responses should be directed to:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Innovation and Partnerships Office
P.O. Box 808, L-779
Livermore, CA 94551-0808
Attention: IL-13845
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