The Drug Discovery Core at the University of Utah provides university researchers access to small molecule libraries/CRISPR libraries for screening, equipment for automation, and synthetic chemistry support for the characterization and validation of compounds for potential use as therapeutics, diagnostics, and biological tools.
The Core currently offers the following services:
- High-throughput screening (HTS)
- Small molecule chemical libraries (230K compounds)
- CRISPR-Cas9 libraries
- The genome-scale CRISPR knockout genetic screening
- CRISPR gene editing (KO cell line production)
- Viral packaging service
- Consultation on HTS assay development
- Target identification/validation
- Hit to lead optimization
- PK/PD/Efficacy
- Chemical support for drug discovery
The Drug Discovery Core is a centralized, staffed facility, and houses instrumentation and robotics required for high-throughput screening.
The core is equipped with a high-content fluorescence imaging system (Molecular Devices ImageXpress Micro XLS) and a Bio-tek Neo2 Plate Reader with a stacker, capable of high-throughput reading of fluorescence, luminescence, and absorbance at any wavelengths.
The Core has a variety of liquid handling instruments (Tecan EVO 96-well and Tecan EVO 384-well automated liquid handling systems with sterile enclosure). Additionally, the core has an HP D300 Digital Dispenser capable of picoliter to microliter non-contact dispensing of small molecules directly into assay plates. The laboratory space housing these systems includes laboratory benches, cell culture, and chemistry hoods.
The core fits into the landscape of the U’s scientific and medical talent, innovative research culture, and state-of-the-art research facilities, contributing to the discovery of small-molecule drugs. This work remains an exciting and challenging frontier as more work is done in the translation of basic scientific discoveries into potential human therapeutics.
The uniqueness of the Drug Discovery Core is manifest as it works to coordinate the cooperative efforts of individual research groups in a wide variety of different drug discovery studies, ultimately leading to the discovery of novel chemical probes and new pharmaceutical lead compounds.
The most valuable assets at the facility are the private and proprietary chemical collections that could result in new intellectual property. These unique molecules with therapeutic potential enables the capacity to assist in the translation of fundamental discoveries in biology into novel therapeutics and commercial opportunities.
It’s anticipated that the discovery of candidate lead compounds from the facility will stimulate interest in the commercial development of technologies at the U through licensing agreements with pharmaceutical industry partners and the production of new start-up biotechnology companies.
Contact Bai Luo (bai.luo@hsc.utah.edu) with your questions about the Drug Discovery Core.
