NEW ASSAY TECHNOLOGIES FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING

The use of high-throughput screening for early stage drug discovery im poses several constraints on the format of assays for therapeutic targ ets of interest. Homogeneous cell-free assays based on energy transfer , fluorescence polarization spectroscopy or fluorescence correlation s pectroscopy provide the sensitivity, ease, speed and resistance to int erference from test compounds needed to function in a high-throughput screening mode. Similarly, novel cell-based assays are now being adapt ed for high-throughput screening, providing for in situ analysis of a variety of biological targets. Finally, recent advances in assay minia turization mark a transition to ultra high-throughput screening, ensur ing that identification of lead compounds will not be the rate-limitin g step in finding new drugs.