PerkinElmer and DBT- ICT Inaugurate “explorer™ G3 Project” – an Advanced High-Throughput Screening Facility

MUMBAI, India–(BUSINESS WIRE)–PerkinElmer, Inc., a global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world, collaborated with Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) to open “explorer^TM G3 Project,” an advanced high-throughput screening facility at DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences, Mumbai. The facility was inaugurated by Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Union Ministry for Science & Technology and Managing Director, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). The inaugural ceremony was attended by many other dignitaries and researchers from the field of modern Biological Sciences.

The new cutting-edge screening facility will house fully automated robotic system integrated with different instruments like JANUS G3 Liquid Handler, Colony Picker, Thermal Cycler, Multimode Reader and Automated Incubators for microbial screening and characterization applications. This will greatly reduce the overall screening time and automate all the workflows leading to better productivity.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Renu Swarup said, “This collaboration would be another step towards positioning India in the field of Industrial Synthetic Biology, which will help researchers and students develop advanced competencies in life sciences and renewable biological research.”

Dr. Arvind M. Lali, Professor and Head, DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences unveiled the video on the “explorer^TM G3 Project” and Application Note on “explorer™ G3 workstation for Microbial Cell Cultivation, Phenotypic Screening and Enzyme Evolution,” during the ceremony, Prof G. D. Yadav, Vice Chancellor, ICT stated, “DBT-ICT has emerged as one of the India’s leading Centre of Excellence in the area of industrial biotechnology. The robotic platform that has been customized and built in collaboration with PerkinElmer will help us automate our workflows and fasten up our pace to design and create those microorganisms that would convert waste derived carbon into useful products like biofuels and biochemicals that are required for our country.”

Speaking on the occasion, Jayashree Thacker, President, PerkinElmer India said, “We, at PerkinElmer, are delighted to work together with DBT-ICT on this important Biofuels research initiative which leverages PerkinElmer’s robotic automation platform – the explorer™ G3 integrated workstation.” She further added, “PerkinElmer brings together innovative technologies and application expertise to automate science and help scientists address scientific challenges. Our application-focused, customizable, integrated robotic system helps automate and optimize research workflows. With our collaboration with DBT-ICT, we look forward to extending our applications to the field of bio-energy.”

About PerkinElmer India

Since 1981, PerkinElmer has offered instruments and services to customers in India, spanning a wide range of markets including diagnostics, pharmaceutical, food safety, agriculture, chemical, plastics and automotive. The Company established direct operations in India in 2004 and currently has more than 10,000 customers and over 450 employees in India.

In early 2016, PerkinElmer opened a laboratory in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to respond to the growing need for easier access to technologies that screen for and help diagnose prenatal and neonatal conditions. In 2017, PerkinElmer opened the Centre of Excellence at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune which is a leading instrumentation facility for researchers and students to advance knowledge of Life Sciences.

About PerkinElmer, Inc.

PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global leader focused on innovating for a healthier world. The Company reported revenue of approximately $2.3 billion in 2017, has about 11,000 employees serving customers in more than 150 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Additional information is available through 1-877-PKI-NYSE, or at www.perkinelmer.com.

About DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences
The DBT-ICT Centre of Energy Biosciences (DBT-ICT-CEB) is the first Energy Biosciences centre in India and the only one of its kind with an integrated basic and translational science capabilities, and where basic sciences meet technology and amalgamates with each other to add a new dimension to Bioprocess Technology and Bioengineering. DBT-ICT-CEB is a unique place for integrated research in biological sciences funded by The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India. The Centre established in December 2008 at total initial cost of about equivalent of USD 5 million at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) at Matunga, Mumbai, which itself is a deemed University under Section 3 of UGC Act 1956. The Centre is focused primarily at developing biotechnologies for deriving energy from renewable resources for reducing India’s rising dependence on petroleum fuels and cut down greenhouse gas emissions. Read more: http://www.dbt-ceb.org/about-us.htm