Biologically produced pharmaceuticals (biologics) are the fastest-growing class of medications in the global pharmaceutical industry, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Given their status, it’s important for students in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) to be comfortable and familiar with the manufacturing process.
CBE’s Eastman Unit Operations Laboratory is adding a new instrument that will provide students with the latest technology in the field. The ThermoFisher Varioskan LUX Multimode Microplate Reader measures biological, chemical, and physical reactions in multi-well plates. The reader is widely used in research, drug discovery, quality control, and manufacturing processes.
“This will be an upgrade, and more convenient for our students,” said CBE Assistant Professor Carolyn Shurer. “This plate reader has a lot more capabilities than the previous equipment the lab had. The two pieces of equipment we were using each only did one measurement. This new instrument will allow a wider range of questions to be answered and applied to the lab.”
The purchase was made possible through the University of Tennessee’s tech fee, which supports the mission of UT by providing all students with improved access to technological infrastructure, resources, and services to enhance their educational experience.
CBE Associate Professor Steve Abel applied for the funds, and asked Shurer to advise on the purchase because of her prior experience with the equipment. The new plate reader is scheduled to arrive by the spring, and Shurer will be involved in the installation and integration of the instrument into the lab.
“The new plate reader will allow students to efficiently collect data and analyze biological systems in a way that is both rigorous and relevant to modern biomolecular engineering,” Abel said. “Students will gain experience with tools and workflows that are common in contemporary biotechnology and biomanufacturing.”
Hands-on Experiences
The Eastman Unit Operations Lab is a teaching and research laboratory located in the basement of the Dougherty Engineering Building. CBE undergraduate students generally take laboratory courses during the spring of their junior year and fall of their senior year that are focused on research scale equipment that can be found in manufacturing processes. Students practice operating the equipment and run experiments that coincide with the course materials they’ve been learning
The Varioskan LUX Multimode Microplate Reader is an advanced multimode reader with up to five detection modes. It combines high-performance detection with intelligent automation to optimize the experimental process and help prevent runtime errors.
The modernized plate reader is the latest upgrade to the Eastman Lab, providing CBE students with another tool that enhances their educational experience, sparks innovation, and ensures they are prepared for the modern workforce.
“I really love that our unit ops lab has an integrated biological manufacturing component, because I don’t think all unit ops labs have such a well-designed and well-supplied setup,” Shurer said. “Especially now with this new instrument, we’re really giving our students a chance to learn, and literally see something happening that is relevant to manufacturing of biological materials that not every unit ops lab has.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])