Archive

Automating Automation – How close are we to Artificial Intelligence impact? By Dr Michael A. Tarselli, Dr Yohann Potier and Dr Alan E. Fletcher In terms of consistency, repeatability, known errors and sheer volume, there exists perhaps no better collection of data for computer learning than that emerging from automated processes. Many common lab procedures […]

Application of bioinformatics in support of precision medicine By Mike Furness and John Wise Bioinformatics has played a major role in gene sequencing diagnostics and has been an essential tool to investigate the genetic causes of disease. With the support of new technologies and tools, bioinformatics can play an important part in the support and […]

Automated Cell-based Assays: Novel tools overcome the barriers to drug discovery success By Helen Stewart-Miller and Kate Tointon In this article, we look at how commercial products and services are facilitating the automation of cell-based assays to advance drug discovery and accelerate the delivery of new medicines to patients. Cell-based assays are vital tools in […]

Cell Therapy – Falling short of its potential? By Pierre-Louis Joffrin Despite major investment in the field, few cell therapies have gained regulatory approval with limited commercial success. The success of therapeutic products is defined by three factors: safety, efficacy and scalability. Achieving these for cell therapy presents new challenges; overcoming transplant rejection (and GvHD […]

The Reality of Virtual Pharmaceutical Companies By Dr Stephen Naylor and Dr Kirkwood A. Pritchard Jr We discuss the oxymoronic proposition of a Virtual Pharmaceutical Company (VPC) and the typical adopted business model, as well as provide examples of such companies currently trying to undertake this adventurous task. The vagaries and complexities of bringing a […]

Safety First – Automating cell line development By Jon Newman-Smith Developing and maintaining cell cultures in a stable and sterile environment is of paramount importance to protect samples and increase overall success of drug discovery pipelines. Cell lines are extremely fragile and susceptible to contamination which can be catastrophic in terms of both time and […]

By Dr Mark Chao, et al. New immunotherapies that integrate innate and adaptive immune responses may increase efficacy against many cancers, and have the potential to expand the range of tumours and patients that can be treated with immunotherapy. Over the past decade, insights into the molecular mechanisms that cancer cells use to evade T-cells, […]

Flow Cytometry – The advanced systems overcoming drug discovery pain points By Helen Stewart-Miller and Dr Richard Massey Flow cytometry is an invaluable technique for the characterisation of highly heterogeneous cell populations. Thanks to improvements in throughput, automation and multichannel detection capabilities, recent years have seen its use expand across a wide range of drug […]

How Mergers and Acquisitions Will Drive Oncology Research in 2019 By Dr Michael Seiler 2019 got off to a fast start for oncology drug discovery, with numerous mergers, acquisitions and collaborations announced in quick succession. These ventures provide a window into key trends in oncology research, where investigators are likely to focus their efforts, and […]

Mining Plant Genomes – A modern approach to herbal healing By Michelle Vierra Plants are stationary soldiers. Rooted to one spot, they are not able to chase nutrients or flee from herbivores and pathogens. So in addition to the basic metabolites they synthesise for their survival, they produce a diverse array of organic compounds through […]