Issue 3 2006

Structure, function, interaction

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Walter Kolch, University of Glasgow & Beatson Institute for Cancer Research

In the last decade proteomics has revolutionised biology and now biology starts revolutionising proteomics.

We are at an exciting interface where the biological questions we can ask and answer with proteomics have become less limited by the available technology and push proteomics towards new frontiers. Exploring these frontiers is the topic of the upcoming joint BSPR/EBI conference entitled ‘Integrative Proteomics: Structure, Function, Interaction’. The conference focuses on the new challenges in proteomics, which are about functions, mechanisms and global contexts rather than cataloguing components. The programme addresses key developments and applications featuring topical sessions with eminent speakers and short talks chosen from submitted abstracts. The full programme is available from http://www.bspr.org

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Tagged with: Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Proteomics, University of Glasgow, Walter Kolch

A new approach to specify RNAi experiments

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Ina Poser, Project Leader and Frank Buchholz Group Leader, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology

Large DNA-sequencing projects such as the Human Genome Project have provided the scientific community with a new challenge: to try to understand the information encoded in the primary sequence of the genome. Studies investigating the role and function of the components of the genome are often called functional genomics.

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Tagged with: Frank Buchholz, Functional genomics, Ina Poser, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology

The human plasma proteome: A biomarker pool too deep to explore?

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Susann Schenk, Center for Experimental Bioinformatics (CEBI) and Gary J. Schoenhals, Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Southern Denmark

The human blood plasma harbors treasure, which, like most treasures, is not easily attained, and finding it requires ingenuity, endurance and possibly a grain of luck. The blood plasma is the largest (most proteins) and deepest (widest dynamic range) of the human proteomes. In order to ‘triumph over’ it, it is necessary to overcome an enormous protein concentration range to finally be rewarded with the possible discovery of biomarkers. But is this a realistic challenge we are facing or is this plasma pool too deep to explore?

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Tagged with: Center for Experimental Bioinformatics (CEBI), Gary J. Schoenhals, Proteomics, Susann Schenk, University of Southern Denmark

A perspective from Eli Lilly and Co.

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Aidas Kriauciunas and William Roell, Department of Integrative Biology, Shaoyou Chu, Karen Cox and Jonathan A. Lee, Department of Lead Generation Biology and Lead Optimization Biology, Ann Goodspeed, Discovery Informatics, Louis Stancato, Cancer Growth and Translational Genetics, Mark Uhlik, Tumor Microenvironment Biology, Lilly Research Laboratory, Eli Lilly and Company

Advances in optical imaging methods, personal computer power and cell/molecular biology methodology have merged to form the field of ‘Cellomics’1 also referred to as High Content Cellular Imaging (HCCI). HCCI is a powerful and flexible cell-based assay platform that has the potential to shorten cycle times by broadly impacting the Drug Discovery process from Target Validation/Lead Generation through in vitro support of Clinical Candidates. This article provides an overview of HCCI, contrasts it with conventional cell based assay modalities, and provides general examples of the technology’s effects on the Drug Discovery process at Eli Lilly and Company.

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Tagged with: Aidas Kriauciunas, Ann Goodspeed, Eli Lilly and Company, HCS (High Content Screening), Jonathan A. Lee, Karen Cox, Louis Stancato, Mark Uhlik, Shaoyou Chu, William Roell

Collaborating to find new approaches to tropical disease

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Dominique Perrin, Alexander Scheer and Timothy N.C. Wells, Serono Pharmaceutical Research Institute

There has been a sea change in the way many biotech and pharma companies view the search for new drugs in neglected disease. Serono is a biotech company, with interests in neurology, reproductive health, oncology and dermatology – but we teamed up with the World Health Organization (WHO) to train two visitors in finding new medicines. From this simple example, we have learned much that shows that beyond simple corporate social responsibility we have much to benefit from with such collaborations.

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Tagged with: Alexander Scheer, Dominique Perrin, HTS (High Throughput Screening), Serono Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Timothy N.C. Wells

Merck & Co.’s automated compound distribution centre

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Collette S. DeChard, Manager Compound Management Group, Fredric J. Solomon, Senior Automation Project Engineer, Robert Donnenberg Lead Application Services, Merck & Co., Inc.

In the mid-1990s, HTS labs were equipped with high-end automation for screening tens of thousands of compounds while compound management labs continued to manually pick samples and invest in standalone equipment. The bottleneck for screening shifted from testing samples to distributing compounds. In order to solve this problem, Merck & Co., Inc., developed an automated compound distribution center. The facility uses automation from The Automation Partnership (TAP), and a Merck-developed compound ordering system to provide solid and solution samples to Merck scientists worldwide.

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Tagged with: Collette S. DeChard, Drug discovery, Fredric J. Solomon, Lab Automation, Merck & Co Inc.

Science through cooperation

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / EPR

Protein crystallography has a key role to play in a project that is making a significant contribution to understanding human diseases. The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) has already achieved one landmark, and looks set to continue in a similar vein. Tim Lloyd spoke with Alexey Bochkarev Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Crystallography, at SGC Toronto, to learn more.

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Tagged with: Protein crystallography

The role of PAT in biotechnology

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Carl-Fredrik Mandenius, Linköping University, Sweden, Member of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences PAT Steering Group

Product quality of pharmaceuticals manufactured in biotechnology processes is to a large extent synonymous with the reduction and control of unwanted biological side-products. Production of biopharmaceutical proteins and secondary metabolites such as antibiotics are the result of biosynthetic capacity of the microbes or cells used. But this capacity may also contribute to turn the product molecules into molecular forms unacceptable in the final product, form side-metabolites that could harm the cell physiology and release contaminating cellular components. The main task for the ensuing process steps, the downstream procedures, is to reduce these impurities to acceptable levels that comply with the regulatory quality criteria.

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Tagged with: Carl-Fredrik Mandenius, Linköping University, PAT

New opportunities for understanding

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Lubomir Gradinarsky, Jonas Johansson, Mike Claybourn, Husheng Yang, Matti U.A. Ahlqvist and Staffan Folestad, Pharmaceutical and Analytical R&D, AstraZeneca R&D Mölndal

By taking advantage of new technology previously developed mainly for radio astronomy, biological investigations and military applications, the emerging field of Terahertz (THz) Spectroscopy is starting to make its way into pharmaceutical analysis. This overview describes the new opportunities with THz Spectroscopy for rapid and non-destructive analysis of pharmaceutical materials such as powders and tablets.

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Tagged with: AstraZeneca, Husheng Yang, Jonas Johansson, Lubomir Gradinarsky, Matti U.A. Ahlqvist, Mike Claybourn, Staffan Folestad

An ever-evolving technology

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Prof. Louis Rey, Scientific Advisor and Head, Laboratory of Experimental Freeze-Drying AERIAL – CRT, and Dalal Aoude-Werner, Head of Project, AERIAL – CRT

Almost 60 years have elapsed since freeze-drying/lyophilization was introduced on an industrial scale. Developed initially for the rapid delivery of human blood plasma on the World’s battle fields, lyophilization gained its credentials with the massive production of penicillin under the guidance of the late Nobel Laureate Sir Ernst Boris Chain.

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Tagged with: AERIAL – CRT, Dalal Aoude-Werner, Louis Rey, Lyophilization

Partnering for better science

Issue 3 2006 / 23 May 2006 / Hans Hultberg, Head of Global Discovery Alliances, AstraZeneca

There are nearly 12,000 people within the AstraZeneca R&D community who all share a common aim: to bring life-changing medicines to patients as quickly as possible. Our efforts are evident in a rich research history that has delivered new treatments for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological and respiratory diseases, along with pioneering new and innovative treatments for cancer and infection that have redefined how diseases such as breast cancer are treated. Our internal research has been, and remains, the hallmark of our success.

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Tagged with: AstraZeneca, Hans Hultberg, Strategic Alliances