Research & Development

UK-based SPT Labtech and Chinese CRO ICE Bioscience have announced the development of a joint laboratory to be built in China. The collaboration seeks to create a state-ofthe-art lab for intelligent drug screening and pharma automation.

Senior leaders from both companies gathered at ICE Bioscience headquarters in Beijing for an official signing ceremony, followed by academic seminars wherein both companies reiterated their goals of innovation and collaboration.

SPT Labtech ’s firefly liquid handling platform forms the basis of this collaboration, according to the press release. Several of its attributes – including its non-contact positive displacement and flexible pipetting capability – made it an appealing solution to ICE Bioscience for its R&D offerings. This has the most potential to be useful in the company’s high-throughput screening and assay development solutions.

“This partnership lays the foundation for continued collaboration between our organisations,” said Morten Frost Norgreen, chief commercial officer at SPT Labtech. “The joint laboratory represents a shared vision of growth and scientific excellence. Together, we aim to break new ground, allowing researchers to address unmet needs in human health through cutting-edge technological advancements.”

Li Yingji, general manager of ICE Bioscience, echoed these sentiments: “In this close collaboration, firefly will allow us to develop new assay solutions, further enhancing our existing safety pharmacology platform and assay development capabilities. I am confident that this joint laboratory will achieve remarkable progress in drug screening automation and contribute significantly to the innovation and development of the pharmaceutical industry.”