Helping Carterra Build the Next Generation of Antibody Screening Instruments

Right here in Salt Lake City, Carterra builds instruments that help scientists decide which antibodies to advance as potential treatments. When researchers have hundreds of candidates, they need to know how strongly each antibody binds to its target, how quickly it attaches and releases, and whether different antibodies recognize the same part of the target. Carterra’s platforms measure hundreds of interactions in parallel using small amounts of sample. That lets researchers compare more candidates in detail while they’re still deciding which ones to pursue.

That capability has been put to work in studies with real consequences for patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers used a Carterra LSA® to characterize antibodies as part of the work behind bamlanivimab, a candidate treatment for COVID-19. They measured how antibodies bound to the virus’s spike protein, compared which parts of the protein they recognized, and tested whether they interfered with its ability to bind to the human ACE2 receptor. Those experiments helped researchers understand how candidates behaved and which warranted further study.

Each Carterra instrument ships with a dedicated computer that runs its control software. For a lab that prepares samples, sets up an assay, and leaves the instrument to run unattended, that computer is part of how the experiment gets done. Universal Systems has worked with Carterra since 2017 to build and configure those computers, deliver them in step with production, and help Carterra manage changes to the platform over time.

The Hardware Has a Job to do in the Lab

On the Carterra LSA-XT, a high-resolution camera observes the sensor chip so the instrument can track up to 384 interactions in real time. Carterra’s control PC needs a full-height PCIe slot for a framegrabber, the card that brings camera images into the computer. That slot has a direct bearing on whether the PC can support the instrument’s data acquisition. A smaller system can look like a good fit on paper and still lack room for the card the instrument depends on. Universal Systems builds around that requirement, sources the framegrabbers, and helps Carterra reuse them where appropriate.

Carterra also specifies onboard graphics and two network interfaces, all within a tight physical envelope. Integrated graphics can provide display capability without taking up space for a separate graphics card, and the graphics driver matters to what researchers see on screen. In a public support bulletin, Carterra documented an Intel graphics driver update that left its Kinetics and Epitope applications unable to display charts or data. For a researcher trying to compare how antibodies bind, a working display driver can be the difference between reviewing the results and stopping to troubleshoot.

Once Carterra qualifies a configuration, keeping it consistent saves engineering work. A replacement board must fit the instrument and support the required connections. Carterra also needs to verify that the hardware and software work together before committing to production. Universal Systems builds to Carterra’s specifications and helps identify replacement configurations as components become harder to source, giving Carterra a concrete platform to test before making the switch.

“Consistency and availability matter a great deal to us because every platform change means requalification work on our side,” said John Visser, Senior Software Engineer at Carterra.

A Repeatable Software Setup Starts on the Production Floor

Carterra’s Navigator software lets researchers set up and queue assays that can run unattended for up to seven days. Once a lab has prepared plates and reagents and set aside instrument time, an interruption can mean troubleshooting, rescheduling work, or repeating steps in the experiment. Carterra’s support team has documented a Windows® update that caused the camera to lose its connection and prevented Navigator from receiving data during experiment preparation. This shows a practical example of how an ordinary change to a PC can affect a specialized instrument.

Previously, Carterra’s manufacturer followed lengthy work instructions to configure every computer by hand. Universal Systems now loads Carterra’s own operating system image before delivery, so each PC arrives with the configuration Carterra specified. That takes setup work off the production floor and reduces the chance that two otherwise identical instruments start with different software settings. It also gives Carterra a known starting point when qualifying a replacement computer or troubleshooting a system in the field.

“Before OS customization, our manufacturer had to execute long work instructions to configure each computer to our specifications, which was expensive and presented a quality control challenge,” said Visser.

Qualify the New Build Once and Schedule Deliveries Around Production

In 2026, rising prices and changing component availability prompted Carterra to move to a new standard control PC. Universal Systems built prototypes to Carterra’s specifications, and Carterra tested them before placing an order for 50 systems. The replacement met Carterra’s requirements at the same cost as the previous platform, with delivery scheduled at 10 systems per month from September 2026 through January 2027.

Qualifying a prototype is useful only if Purchasing can keep getting the same build. Committing to the full order gave Carterra a consistent configuration across the production run and access to volume pricing. Taking delivery in batches allowed its manufacturing team to receive computers as needed, without storing all 50 at once. For companies that ship a computer with their own product, that arrangement ties the purchasing decision to two things that matter downstream: the configuration engineering tested and the schedule manufacturing can use.

“That lets us place fewer orders, secure better volume discounts and gives us consistent hardware across a production run, without having to receive and store all the systems at once,” said Visser.

Keep Useful Hardware in Service as the Instrument Changes

Carterra had 15 unused PCs built for an instrument model that was no longer being ordered. Universal Systems upgraded them to meet the requirements of current instruments at a fraction of the cost of buying new systems. The same upgrade path gives Carterra a way to bring computers in its internal instruments up to current specifications. Knowing both generations of the build helped Universal Systems find a use for hardware that otherwise would have been written off.

Carterra is also working toward moving the control computer from a standalone unit into the instrument itself. Universal Systems has helped develop a smaller design that, according to Visser, costs less than an off-the-shelf alternative. Moving the computer inside makes the space it occupies a decision about the instrument itself. Starting with Carterra’s requirements gives the two teams room to work through what the computer must accommodate before settling on a design.

“We start with what the instrument needs to do. Then we work through what has to fit, what Carterra needs to qualify, and how we’ll keep building that configuration when components change. The prototype is one part of the job. We also have to make it practical to manufacture and support.” --Rachel Connett, Head of Sales, Universal Systems

For a company developing a custom or white-label device, those decisions tend to fall across several teams. Engineering needs a build it can qualify, manufacturing needs it configured and delivered on schedule, and service needs a way to support it when parts change. Universal Systems helps Carterra carry those decisions from one instrument generation to the next. For the researchers at the other end, the value shows up in a more immediate way. They can set up an experiment, let the instrument run, and get back to the work of deciding which antibodies to study next.