By Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC)
The Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC) is seeking to hire a specialized company to carry out assay validation and compound evaluation using dopaminergic neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells. Requirements - Proven experience in the culture of human neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells. - Proven capability in the development and validation of cell-based functional assays using iPS-derived dopaminergic neurons. - Proven capability in assay miniaturization. - Experience in the application of controlled stimuli (including light stimulation). - Experience in the quantification of biochemical biomarkers in iPS-derived cells. - Experience in dose-response curve analysis for compound profiling in HTS (High Throughput Screening) format, providing relevant parameters. - Capabilities for image acquisition and analysis in HTS format. Scope of Work Preliminary Validation - Initial assays with reference compounds to confirm the correct functioning of the experimental system. - Optimization of assay conditions, including lighting parameters. - Definition of assay viability criteria (GO / NO GO). Assay Validation and Compound Evaluation - Implementation of the assay in dopaminergic neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells in a miniaturized 384-well multiplate (384 MTP) format. - Treatment with reference compounds at different concentrations. - Application of controlled light stimulation protocols, including appropriate control conditions. - If compatible, evaluation of the cell culture through BrightField image acquisition in 384-well format before proceeding to the final step and, where feasible, quantification of cell density to provide an index of cell number (viability) after treatment. - Quantification of dopamine in the cell supernatant using biochemical methods. - Evaluation at multiple time points after treatment.
