Case studyTools:

SB Drug Discovery and Nanion:
Accelerating Growth for SuccessSyncroPatch 384
SURFE 2R 96SE

Dr. David Dalrymple,
featured by Nanion Technologies
Dr. David Darymple is Business Development

growing demands with the consistency of rapid, robust,

Director at SD Drug Discovery, a Sygnature

quality data that clients expect.”

Discovery Business. He is dedicated tobuilding meaningful partnerships within

Diversification through New Technologies

the scientific and business communities,
enhancing SB Drug Discovery’s contribution

Beginning in 2012, SB’s experienced cell biology teamto scientific advancement.

undertook an extensive development program resulting in
the generation of an extensive array of ion channel cell lines,
each meticulously characterized using manual patch clamp
electrophysiology. Then, in 2016, the team made the decision
to purchase their first SyncroPatch 384 to accommodate their

As a leading provider of ion channel and receptor drug
discovery services, SB Drug Discovery is known worldwide for
its research capabilities, from customized cell line and assay
development to high-throughput screening services and lead
optimization support.
At the heart of the company’s rapid progression of its
status as a leading ion channel expert, SB acknowledges
the significance of Nanion’s electrophysiology platforms inaccelerating the organization’s growth.
David Dalrymple, SB’s Business Development Director,
explains: “We invest in the latest technologies to provide thecritical support our clients need to expedite their novel drug
development, and our reputation is built upon the trust ourpartners have in us to deliver on their complex requirements.
With such an extensive range of in-house biology services,
the technologies SB invests in must be able to cope withthe numerous - and detailed - challenges of its clients’ drug
discovery campaigns. Nanion’s automated electrophysiology
platforms have been pivotal in enabling us to meet these

Nanion's SyncroPatch 384 platform(successor of SyncroPatch 384PE and SyncroPatch384i) allows effortless high-throughput ion channel
screening coupled with high flexibility and reliability,
due to the combination of its patch clamp modulewith Beckman Coulter’s new i-Series liquid handlingrobot Biomek i5.

growing volume of work and timeline demands.
With greatly increased throughput and streamlined
processing, SB was able to expand its electrophysiology
services. A second SyncroPatch was purchased in 2019,
followed by a third, in 2022, in anticipation of sustained
growth in demand and supply.

“Nanion’s automated electrophysiology platforms have been pivotal inenabling us to meet these growing demands with the consistency of rapid,
robust, quality data that clients expect.”

Dr. David Dalrymple, Business Development Director, SB Drug Discovery

Now with over 150 validated targets, SB has one of therecognition for its exceptional biology services, and currently

largest commercial collections of ion channel targets, and an

supports pharma, biotech and academia throughout theautomated electrophysiology capacity to support multiple

world, from West to East Coast US, to Europe and Asia, andintegrated programs, high-throughput screening campaigns,

more locally, in the UK.

routine lead optimization studies as well as ad hoc projects
and off-target safety profiling.

Maintaining Values through Planned Growth

Increased Capacity through Improved Staffing Efficiency

Through Nanion’s automated technologies, SB has also foundit easier to manage its projected growth with greater precision

Alongside greater throughput, the automated functionality

whilst upholding its wider objectives.

of the Nanion SyncroPatch 384 has significantly improved
staffing efficiency, thus enabling SB’s dedicated research“Using Nanion’s electrophysiology platforms, we have been

professionals to deliver to a larger and broader client base.

able to stay ahead of the curve, and accelerate our growth
without compromising our core values, both as a company

Having grown its team from a complement of 20 staff in 2010,

and as an employer. Through our full range of in-house biology

to over 75 biotech professionals in 2023, SB now enjoys globalservices, we strive to be accessible to any size of customer.

BACD

Electrophysiology Screening Studies SB Drug Discovery conducts their studies on 384-well automatedhigh-throughput patch clamp electrophysiology platforms (SyncroPatch 384), with screening
capacity of >10,000 datapoints per day. Figure shows an exemplary assay for a GABA agonist
allogrenanolone as recorded (A), and analyzed (B,C) in DataControl 384, the analysis software forthe SyncroPatch 384. Graph D show a high reproducibility of EC50 values for this assay.

Whilst large global partners can be assured of our capacity

technology and lysosomal research via the innovative, solid

to deliver, our end-to-end electrophysiology services also

supported membrane-based electrophysiology (SSME)

make it easier for smaller companies to pursue their ion

platform for transporter evaluation, SURFE2R 96SE.

channel research, by negating the need to acquire specialist
technologies or invest in additional staffing and training.”

The collaboration resulted in two recent publications 1,2,highlighting the capabilities of two technologies, andThis level of inclusivity is part of SB’s primary aim to bring thethe importance of a holistic approach to investigating

proverbial ‘bench’ closer to the bedside, accelerating goals

therapeutically relevant targets. One of them the lysosomal

to discover the potential of ion channels to address areas

cation channel TMEM175 is a Parkinson’s disease-relatedof unmet medical need - particularly with respect to mental

protein and a promising drug target 2. Together, SB andillness and other CNS diseases.

Nanion performed functional characterization of TMEM175 inlysosomes using SSM-based electrophysiology, and developed

SB Drug Discovery and Nanion Unite for Scientifican HTS-compatible assay mode to study and characterize

Advancement

compounds that modulate TMEM175 using the sametechnology. Groups also compared the results obtained from

Apart from collaborations in business development sphere,

this assay with those obtained from whole-cell APC and LPC

SB Drug Discovery and Nanion, have also jointly performed

recordings, providing a comprehensive perspective on thescientific projects, exploring not only ion channel function

compound effects on TMEM175 across different experimental

but function of transporter targets, relevant for multiple

approaches and assay conditions 2.

devastating diseases. This partnership exceeds traditional
scopes and pools together expertise and resources in thefield of ion channel research using automated patch clamp

SB Drug Discovery scientists utilize multiple high-throughput SyncroPatch 384 platforms to deliver robust, high quality
electrophysiology data to support their global customers.

“Using Nanion’s platforms, we add further value in the drug discovery chain,facilitating the development of more innovative - and more cost-effective therapeutics for the benefit of the global community. ”

Dr. David Dalrymple, Business Development Director, SB Drug Discovery

Looking to the Future…
As a result of their continued success, the SB team are currently

References
1.

N, Rotordam MG, Hutchison L, Madau P, Pau D, Dalrymple D, Braun N, Friis S,

expanding into new facilities. And, with all three of their current

Pless SA, Fertig N. The suitability of high throughput automated patch clamp

SyncroPatch 384 platforms in operation seven days per week,

for physiological applications. J Physiol. 2022 Jan;600(2):277-297. doi: 10.1113/

it didn´t take long until the company had its sights on further

JP282107. Epub 2021 Oct 8. PMID: 34555195.

technological expansion - cementing their long-standing andproductive partnership with Nanion. SB has broadened its assay

Obergrussberger A, Rinke-Weiß I, Goetze TA, Rapedius M, Brinkwirth N, Becker

2.

Bazzone A, Barthmes M, George C, Brinkwirth N, Zerlotti R, Prinz V, Cole K, Friis S,capabilities in the field of transporter research by incorporating

Dickson A, Rice S, Lim J, Fern Toh M, Mohammadi M, Pau D, Stone DJ, Renger

the Nanion SSME platform, SURFE2R 96SE, into its comprehensive

JJ, Fertig N. A Comparative Study on the Lysosomal Cation Channel TMEM175

portfolio.

Using Automated Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp, Lysosomal Patch-Clamp, and Solid
Supported Membrane-Based Electrophysiology: Functional Characterization“Nanion’s platforms have helped us to add further value in theand High-Throughput Screening Assay Development. Int J Mol Sci. 2023

drug discovery chain, facilitating the development of more

Aug 14;24(16):12788. doi: 10.3390/ijms241612788. PMID: 37628970; PMCID:

innovative - and more cost-effective - therapeutics for thePMC10454728.

benefit of the global community. With its unrivaled technologies
and outstanding customer service, Nanion complements
SB’s own commitment to excellence, and we look forward tocontinuing to work together towards our shared aims”, David
highlights.

Contact Information
Dr. David Dalrymple
Business Development DIrector
SB Drug Discovery
Telford Pavilion, Todd Campus
West of Scotland Science Park
Glasgow, Lanarkshire
G20 0XA
UK
https://www.sbdrugdiscovery.com/Acknowledgments
We thank David and SB Drug Discovery team forsharing their experience with Nanion platforms froma CRO perspective. We are grateful for your valuable
insights and wonderful collaboration.

Nanion Technologies GmbH I Ganghoferstr. 70a, 80339 Munich, Germany+49 89 2190 95-0 I info@nanion.de I www.nanion.de