Functional genomic and high-content screening for target discovery and deconvolution

Susanne Heynen-Genel, Lars Pache, Sumit K Chanda, Jonathan Rosen
2012 Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery  
Introduction-Functional genomic screens apply knowledge gained from the sequencing of the human genome toward rapid methods of identifying genes involved in cellular function based on a specific phenotype. This approach has been made possible through the use of advances in both molecular biology and automation. The utility of this approach has been further enhanced through the application of image-based high content screening, an automated microscopy and quantitative image analysis platform.
more » ... se approaches can significantly enhance acquisition of novel targets for drug discovery. Areas covered-Both the utility and potential issues associated with functional genomic screening approaches are discussed along with examples that illustrate both. The considerations for high content screening applied to functional genomics are also presented. Expert opinion-Functional genomic and high content screening are extremely useful in the identification of new drug targets. However, the technical, experimental, and computational parameters have an enormous influence on the results. Thus, although new targets are identified, caution should be applied toward interpretation of screening data in isolation. Genomic screens should be viewed as an integral component of a target identification campaign that requires both the acquisition of orthogonal data, as well as a rigorous validation strategy.
doi:10.1517/17460441.2012.711311 pmid:22860749 pmcid:PMC3954969 fatcat:3gk7e5f7ynezpoj37ewh46sf2a