Drug Discovery Automation - HCS & Cell Based Assays Agenda

Registration

High Content siRNA Screening for Modulatros of Receptor Expression/Compartmentalization and Cytoskeletal Organization
Maria Montoya, Head, National Center for Cardiovascular Research, Spain

High Content Screening (HCS) has been developed for RNAi-loss of function assays to search for modulators of caveolin-1  (Cav1) expression and compartmentalization and for Rab8-mediated cytoskeletal phenotypes using confocal microscopy imaging of tumor cell lines and multiparametric image analysis. 

SiRNA Sequence Model: ReDesign Algorithm Based on Available Genome Wide Libraries and Screens
Karol Kozak, Head, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Because not all siRNAs that are developed to a given target mRNA are equally effective, design tools have been developed based on experimental data to increase the knock-down efficiency of siRNAs. On this talk bioinformatics approach to validate design of siRNA libraries will be presented. New methods for better siRNA sequences will be proposed.

Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Actin' Out, Development of a High Content Screen Protocol for Investigation of the Interplay Between Epithelial Junctions and the Actin Cytoskeleton
Ann Wheeler, Advanced Imaging Facility Manager, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom

siRNA screen in primary human keratinocytes to identify novel candidate proteins involved in wound healing.

Identifying Factors Linked to Self-Renewal and Differentiation of Primary Muscle Stem Cells: An Integrative Approach of Mass Spectrometry and High-Throughput RNAi Screening
Johnny Kim, Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Germany

We have performed a high-content lentiviral RNAi screen on purified primary muscle stem cells and have identified novel regulators of their self-renewal and differentiation.

Lunch Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

The Importance of High Content Analysis for Stem Cell Culture, Differentiation and Media Development
Peter Zehetmayer, Sales Specialist Cell Technologies, GE Healthcare, United States of America
Veit Bergendahl, Head, Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Germany

The talk covers the development of specialty media for translational research in the field of hematopoietic stem cells. We describe how we have developed and used a high-content screening platform via integrated HCR and FACS into commercial liquid handler platforms.

Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Identification of Highly Potent, Short and Stable Chemerin Analogs using High-Content Analysis and Other Cell-Based Assays
Carsten Grotzinger, Group Leader/Head, Charite University Medicine Berlin, Germany

CMKLR1 is a GPCR overexpressed in squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus. We have advanced the wild-type C-terminal nonamer peptide of its ligand chemerin into highly stabilized analogues that retain both high affinity and receptor activation. Coupling optimized peptide variants to fluorescent dyes and chelators via different linkers enabled us to generate contrast for tumor imaging.

High Concentration Biochemical Fragment Screening on GPCRs
Andras Visegrady, Head, Lead Discovery Laboratory, Gedeon Richter, Hungary

The utility of high concentration biochemical fragment screening on membrane-bound drug targets less prone to biophysical detection will be presented.

High Throughput-High Content Phenotypic Drug Screening: Using the Power of Flow Cytometry
Kim Luu, Director, IntelliCyt Corporation, United States of America

Multiplexed technologies are increasingly being incorporated into discovery programs evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of compounds. We will discuss  a novel system for performing multiplex phenotypic screening assays on suspensions of cells or beads.

High-Throughput Screening for Identification of BMP Signalling Agonists
Karen Vrijens, Postdoctoral Researcher, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, United States of America

Cell based luminescent assay has been developed for HTS identification of small molecule BMP-signaling activators, based on induction of Id-1 expression. Hit identification and follow-up strategy will be discussed.

Drinks Reception

Automating High-Content Imaging: A Case Study
Katya Tsaioun, CSO, Cyprotex, United States of America

High-content imaging technology while providing a lot of information to discovery teams that would not be available from single-parameter end points, inherently is not high-throughput due to time required for acquisition and processing of the large amount of data it collects. As this technology is used in primary screening, hit-to-lead and lead optimization phases, there is an urgent need to make it more high-throughput in order to realize the full potential. We will present a case study of successful full automation of experimental setup and processing of data that finally makes high-content also high-throughput.

Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM): A Label Free Technology for Image-Based Screening Applications
Gerardo Turcatti, Director, Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne, Switzerland

In order to validate the use of this non invasive interferometric microscopy for monitoring morphological cell changes, we initially focus on cell viability screening assays by comparing the experimental outputs of DHM and standard fluorescence microscopy methods.

Novel, Simple Technology for Creating Physiologically Relevant 3-D Tissue Models
Rosemary Drake, Chief Scientific Officer, TAP Biosystems, United Kingdom

RAFT is a novel technology that enables collagen based cell cultures to be made simply, rapidly and consistently. The realistic environment enables co-cultures to be created and more complex cell behaviour to be studied.

Lunch Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

3D Chemical Compounds Screening Assay to Uncover Signaling Pathways Involved in CAFs-Remodeling Tumor Microenvironment
Cedric Gaggioli, Senior Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Fellow, Universite Nice Sophia Antipolis, France

3D Tumor Spheroids for Drug Discovery in Oncology
Carsten Wenzel, Scientist, Bayer Healthcare, Germany

We here present our current work on establishment and evaluation of High Content Analysis-based assays on 3D tumor spheroids for drug discovery in oncology.

Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

2D Versus 3D Quantitative Imaging Assays in vitro Applied to Metastatic Cells
Daniel Zicha, Head of Light Microscopy, Cancer Research UK, United Kingdom

Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity Prediction using Three-Dimensional Culture Models in High Content Screening Context
Thierry Dorval, Team Leader, Institut Pasteur Korea, Korea South

This oral will present a practical combination of 3D culture system associated with a dedicated 3D image analysis for hepatotoxicity assessment in a high content screening context.

Close of Conference