High-throughput organoid screening at scale with automated liquid handling
12 Jun 2026
High-throughput organoid screening is transforming drug discovery by enabling researchers to test compounds across large panels of physiologically relevant 3D models, helping to better predict clinical outcomes. However, the complexity of culturing and handling organoids has traditionally limited scalability and efficiency. In this SelectScience interview, Peter van Schaik of Crown Bioscience discusses how his team has overcome these challenges by implementing the firefly automated liquid handling platform from SPT Labtech to support scalable, high content screening workflows.
This SelectScience interview was recorded at SLAS Europe 2026.
About the company
SPT Labtech
SPT Labtech’s aim is to offer pioneering, high calibre solutions to the life sciences industry. We focus on the creation, design, manufacture and support of robust, reliable and easy-to-use instrumentation as we believe that’s what today’s busy scientists deserve.
We provide state-of-the-art solutions developed for specific product areas including: cell-based screening, sample management, liquid handling and the management of analytical automation.
Our unique solutions offer you better tools and techniques, saving time and material costs and simplifying complex operations. We achieve this through our staff, who combine cutting-edge science with first-rate engineering, manufacturing and customer support.
Video transcript
Show transcript
My name is Peter van Schaik. I'm a scientist at Crown Bioscience in the Netherlands. We at Crown Bioscience are specialized in high-throughput organoid screening and we have an extensive biobank of more than 850 organoid models that are available for our assays.
High-throughput organoid screening has been difficult for a long time because organoids are very difficult to culture, very labor intensive and therefore expensive. And we have figured out an efficient way to culture many organoid models at scale. So that allows us to do like proper high-throughput essays that many other labs are not able to do yet.
We've used the Firefly for automated organoid seeding, medium refreshes, treatments and preparation for end point assays. We used positive displacement syringes for automated organoid seeding in hydrogel, so for 3D high-content imaging assays. And we used it for medium additions, medium refreshes, compound serial dilutions, compound additions, and actually all the liquid handling steps that are necessary for our high-content imaging assays.
We noticed that the software is very user friendly and I think they managed a really good balance between having easy to use and easy to learn software, but still keeping the functionality and the option to change any details you may want. I think it looks really nice as well.
What does this video cover?
Topics covered in this video
- How large is Crown Bioscience's organoid biobank?
- What challenges persist in high-throughput organoid screening?
- What are the key benefits of the firefly automated liquid handler from SPT Labtech?
