Accelerating RNA Therapeutics Research with High Throughput Screening

Oligonucleotides have the potential to transform the treatment of a wide range of diseases, and have extensive applications in biomedical research. Oligonucleotide approaches include antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), RNA interference (RNAi) and aptamers. TychoBio – an RNA therapeutics start-up located in Villejuif, Île-de-France – screens candidate oligonucleotide therapeutics across multiple cell lines to generate large datasets that can help to improve our understanding of RNA regulation and inform the design of better, safer and more efficient RNA therapies. The TychoBio team relies on various products from INTEGRA Biosciences, including the VACUSAFE safe aspiration system and SWITCH hybrid pipette to perform this vital research, improving throughput and saving time.

A Data-Driven Approach to RNA Therapeutics

The core of TychoBio’s work is high throughput screening of oligonucleotide therapeutics. The team looks at a wide range of different molecules, as Chief Scientific Officer Mathurin Dorel explained: “We screen lots of oligonucleotides: some are candidate therapeutics, while others are just designed to gain information into how RNA is regulated. The goal is to build a model that understands RNA regulation and can help us to design better, safer and more efficient RNA therapies.”

RNA therapeutics are an important frontier for drug development, as they can intervene earlier in the biological process than most conventional small molecule and biologics approaches, which target proteins. “There are several advantages to this approach,” Mathurin explained. “It has all the advantages of small molecules, such as reversibility, but it’s easier to design a sequence for a specific target, and has the potential for longer-lasting benefits.” Despite the possibilities for RNA therapeutics, further research into basic RNA biology, toxicity and efficacy is still needed. “The devil is in the details, and this is why we use a high throughput, machine learning-based approach. The sequence of an RNA molecule is not the whole story: it folds in the cell, and it interacts with different things. We need to find out what happens during these interactions to anticipate if there is any possible toxicity, and to ensure the safety of candidate therapeutics.”

Removing Bottlenecks During Cell Culture

Working with high throughput assays means that the company spends a significant amount of time performing basic cell culture tasks. “We use INTEGRA’s VACUSAFE safe aspiration system to speed up routine processes, including removing media and washing of cells. Although these processes seem small at first, they can be very time consuming when working on high throughput projects. If you are working with five or six plates at a time, the VACUSAFE is a really convenient way to get rid of all the liquids from a 96 well plate rapidly. Without it, we’d be doing the task by hand with a multichannel pipette, so it probably saves each of us at least 30 minutes a day. This gives us more time to generate the huge datasets needed for our machine learning algorithms.”

Flexibility for Every Workflow

The team also values the flexibility of the VACUSAFE, which is available with various accessories. “The whole product is very easy to handle, you just plug it in, and it works. When we work with flasks, we use the VACUBOY 1-channel adapter, and when we process plates, we use the 8-channel adapter. These adapters are very easy to attach and remove, simple to wash, and ideal for our high throughput experiments.”

The VACUSAFE is normally kept in the laminar flow hood for cell culture work at TychoBio, but its portability means that the team can move the unit between different laboratory areas and benches if required. “We often need to remove media from 96 well plates in different areas of the lab so, rather than buy a separate machine, we just move the VACUSAFE around as required.”

A Trusted Partnership with INTEGRA

TychoBio’s relationship with INTEGRA extends beyond the VACUSAFE, with the team choosing a range of INTEGRA products throughout the lab, including the SWITCH hybrid pipette and INTEGRA reservoirs. “I’ve worked with INTEGRA products throughout my career, and that made them a natural choice here at TychoBio,” Mathurin said. “The SWITCH combines both manual pipetting and a repeat dispense mode in a single device. Not having to switch between a dispenser and a normal pipette when using the SWITCH is really convenient, and INTEGRA’s reservoirs are great because they offer very low dead volumes, meaning you don’t lose much liquid.”

The partnership is continuing to grow as TychoBio expands its laboratory capabilities, and good service from the local INTEGRA representative is critical for the team, enabling them to explore how new devices may fit into their workflows.

Our representative recently demonstrated some new products for us, and we ordered two thirds of what was presented! We’re really looking forward to trying out all the new products.” 

Mathurin Dorel, Chief Scientific Officer, INTEGRA Biosciences 

The VACUSAFE offers a safe, user-friendly alternative to conventional aspiration systems.