Biologics formulation & developability
The problem
Biologics like monoclonal antibodies, and gene therapy vectors like adeno-associated viruses and lipid nanoparticles, need to be carefully formulated to remain stable and effective. The perfect mix of pH, salt, buffer and other excipients is key to dialing in the perfect formulation for these complex molecules. Getting the biologics formulation wrong can lead to premature degradation or aggregation, which can reduce efficacy or lead to an unwanted immune response.
Formulation development is a slog, not because it’s particularly hard, but because there’s a lot to do. It requires creating the formulation, exchanging the drug into the formulation, and then waiting to see if it’s going to aggregate, decompose, get cloudy, or if particles will form. Many labs already rely on high-throughput tools or basic automation to get more done — but doing more isn’t the same as learning more. Traditional automation helps you move faster, but it doesn’t help you understand your science faster.
The right tool for the job
Stuntman combines built-in AI with adaptable hardware to take on the heavy lifting of biologics formulation. Turn your natural-language prompts into executable scripts that can orchestrate closed-loop automation from start to finish. Stuntman’s AI helps plan and organize experiments, interpret results, and guide how things progress. Design, execute, and analyze experiments all in one place using Stuntman AI, intuitive drag-and-drop interface workflows, or Python with full API access. Every step is tracked in real time and logged as it happens.
It brings together critical steps like preparing formulations, loading samples, and capturing analytical data for particle identification, color, turbidity, and pH — all on one deck. Adaptive hardware handles everything from thin buffers to thick, sticky proteins or nanoparticles with precision, maintaining control and protecting sample integrity. Whether you’re running formulation screens, stability studies, or excipient tests, Stuntman keeps every sample uniform, every condition consistent, and every result you can trust.
What’s possible
Sample handling
Formulations can be sticky, sensitive, or shear-prone — and Stuntman handles them all with precision. Automated sample preparation with aliquoting and capping keep samples airtight and contamination-free, while temperature-controlled racks maintain cold-chain integrity from prep through testing. Each sample is tracked, sealed, and ready for analysis without manual transfer or labeling errors. Whether you’re working with high-concentration proteins, lipid nanoparticles, or viral vectors, Stuntman keeps your formulations intact and reproducible from the first pipette tip to the final vial.
Stress studies
Formulations get pushed to their limits to reveal how they behave under stress. Stuntman automates those stress tests — running controlled temperature, mixing, and freeze–thaw studies to uncover weak points in stability or aggregation behavior. You can run 96-well plates or lower density formats. Run multiple plates at once, each with its own temperature.
Controlled heating and stirring let you accelerate degradation and aggregation studies safely and reproducibly. Stuntman's Heat/Cool/Stir Bays precisely regulate temperature and agitation across multiple samples at once, so you can explore how temperature and shear impact stability without introducing variability. Stirring speeds, durations, and temperature profiles are fully programmable, so you can fine-tune mixing intensity and thermal conditions to see how far your molecules hold up.
For formulations that need more aggressive mixing or stress testing, the Vortexing Station provides consistent, high-energy agitation across vials or plates. Each sample sees identical treatment, allowing direct comparison of formulation stability or aggregation potential under identical shear conditions.
Repeated freeze–thaw cycles are tough on biologics, but Stuntman’s chilled deck zones and temperature-controlled racks automate the process without manual intervention. Run parallel freeze–thaw studies at different rates or cycle numbers, then immediately move samples into analysis — all while maintaining traceability.
Repeated freeze–thaw cycles are tough on biologics, but Stuntman’s chilled deck zones and temperature-controlled racks automate the process without manual intervention. Run parallel freeze–thaw studies at different rates or cycle numbers, then immediately move samples into analysis — all while maintaining traceability.
Stability testing
Stability is where good formulations prove themselves. Stuntman manages short- and long-term stability studies automatically, maintaining controlled storage conditions and recording key metrics like pH, clarity, and color over time. Each data point is traceable to its formulation setup, ensuring consistent comparisons across excipient systems, concentrations, and stress profiles.
Visual Inspection Station
The Visual Inspection Station (VIS) is a triple threat. With one device you can do a quick particle count to detect particle formation, check color to determine if the formulation is changing on you, and check turbidity to see if the solution is getting cloudier. Automating this previously manual task means you have a camera that is not as subjective as a human being checking it, and the VIS can produce quantitative data and store all the images so they can be retrieved later. Best of all, the tests are non-destructive — even for color and turbidity. You can take the same vials you checked out, return them to storage, and assay the same vial a month later. The end result is you need fewer vials (and less sample) to conduct these long term biologics formulation studies.
4-channel pH
The measurement of pH and changes to sample pH are crucial to understanding if your formulation is exactly what you want it to be. Measuring pH samples one by one is a drag. The 4-channel pH arm uses glass probes which are the most accurate for biologics. You can make four measurements simultaneously and can get through a 96-well plate in about an hour. If you’re measuring pH in something besides a 96-well plate, the arm can handle that with a single extendable pH probe. Stuntman tracks the calibration so you can use the same calibration throughout the day or make a new one, and it will archive the calibration data for you to check up on later.
pH drives stability, solubility, and aggregation – and Stuntman keeps it under control. While integrated pH probes monitor pH automatically, sample pH can be adjusted during formulation or testing, eliminating manual titrations. With automated pH measurement and adjustment, Stuntman can create formulations with full pH profiling, giving you a full view of how pH affects structure, aggregation, and degradation pathways.
Integrations
With Stuntman, the possibilities are endless. Use Stuntman’s built-in AI or Python API to connect with your own tools, data systems, or AI and machine learning platforms. Drop in modules that your workflow calls for or hook it up with third-party systems. Keep expanding as your workflows evolve.
Stuntman
Stuntman has natural-language AI embedded directly into the system to help plan and design smarter experiments, close the loop faster, and adapt as conditions change, while hardware is configured upfront to fit your workflow. The result is faster iteration, more informative data, and automation that finally keeps pace with real science, whether you’re working in chemistry, biologics, materials, or beyond.
Want more info?
Every lab has different bottlenecks and challenges. We’re all about partnering with you to build the bespoke solution that lets you do science faster and better. Have questions or can’t wait to speak with our expert team to find out what might be possible?