A new instrument, the Biacore 8K has 16 flow cells, allowing the researcher to immobilize eight different ligands on a single sensor chip. The Biacore 8K runs much faster than other SPR instruments with reduced sample injection time. The instrument will be used by researchers in the drug discovery process.

This purchase is exempt from the usual selection processes of the Procurement Code because the procurement expenditure is for performing sponsored research and other sponsored activities under grants and contracts funded by the sponsor or by sources other than State appropriations. (30 ILCS 500 / 1-13(b)(8)) The current Biacore T200 instrument is being used almost 100% of the time and users have to wait 4-5 weeks in order to schedule the next available instrument time. It is partly because Biacore T200 uses sensor chips that have only four flow cells, letting only two to three ligands to immobilize on a chip. The Biacore 8K has 16 flow cells, allowing researchers to immobilize eight different ligands on a single sensor chip. The Biacore 8K runs much faster than Biacore T200 with reduced sample injection time. These new features of Biacore 8K can reduce run time significantly, and therefore it can solve our long waiting time for users since each experiment will take much shorter time to run. In addition, the signal sensitivity also has improved a lot, benefitting the improved detection of very small fragment compounds. Fragment compound screening became a key step for drug discovery process, and hence Biacore 8K will benefit many PIs who are interested in drug discovery.