Molecular Technologies III

Year 2: Fall semester, 1 credits

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Goals of the Course

Drug discovery is a costly, time consuming process. Many biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies actively participate in drug discovery since the rewards for identification of novel drugs are very high. Alternately, many biotechnology companies actively participate in the design and supply of assays and tools that facilitate the drug discovery process. In order to appreciate this complicated and competitive area, this course will provide students with practical experience in the early drug discovery process and some of the methods and assays employed, from primary and secondary screening of potential drug candidates to cell-based assays to test for toxicity.

Molecular Technologies III covers topics and concepts in the drug discovery process, with emphasis on laboratory assays and methods used in primary, secondary, and ADMETox (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity) drug screening. The course is designed around intensive hands-on laboratory sessions focused on the detection of kinase activity as a model for a relevant drug target, the effect of two putative inhibitors identified from a compound library during an initial screen, as well as how the identified inhibitors effects cytochrome P450 activity and cell viability. These areas address the metabolism and toxicity aspects of ADMETox screening. Both on-target and off-target effects of these two test compounds will be investigated. In addition, students will gain experience with basic cell culture techniques, stem cell biology, hERG assay technologies, fluorescent microscopy, and high content screening.

Along with mastering course concepts and laboratory practices, students will demonstrate their knowledge and skills through effective scientific communication. Students will write short scientific papers detailing their experiments and write a detailed scientific protocol for an assay of their choosing to be used in a laboratory session. They will be expected to explain the modes of action of the various technologies they have tested, including their advantages and disadvantages. An emphasis will be placed on data analysis for the various assays performed in class, including IC50 determination and discussion of Z' factor analysis.