Chemical Biology & Probes – CBP

Topics

• Design, synthesis, and application of small molecule probes to explore biological systems
• Applications of biomolecules & mimetics (peptide, protein, oligonucleotide, carbohydrates) as tools to probe biological phenomena Target ID and validation (via chemical and combined chemical/genetic methods) – reverse screening
• Phenotypic and morphologic responses to chemical and genetic perturbations – forward screening
• ‘Omic cataloging of responses to chemical and biological perturbations (proteomic, genomic, metabolomic, lipidomic, etc.) including developing new probes to drive such perturbations
• Connection of biochemical, cellular, and tissue responses driven by chemical probes and genetics (in vitro, in cells, in model organisms)
• Development and applications of bio-orthogonal labeling chemistry
• Imaging agents and radiochemistry to be used to study biological systems
• Early therapeutic lead validation via target identification system response characterization
• High-throughput (HTS) assay development and primary screen implementation relevant to drug discovery
• Optimization of chemical probes for use in vivo
• Medicinal chemistry focused on lead selection for disease-oriented programs
• Protein chemistry and protein engineering applied to potential therapeutic and tool development

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests in synthetic methodologies with Chemical Synthesis and Biosynthesis (CSB).  Applications involving medicinal chemistry, development of chemical probes, and protein chemistry and engineering are reviewed in CBP. Applications involving natural products, total synthesis, and peptide chemistry are reviewed in CSB. 

There are shared interests in drug development with Drug and Biologic Disposition and Toxicity (DBDT). Applications that emphasize the early-stage development and characterization of novel compounds are reviewed in CBP. Applications focused on in vivo ADME/tox studies of candidate compounds already synthesized are reviewed in DBDT.

There are shared interests in development of antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiviral, and antitumor therapeutics with Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology A, B, and C (DMPA, DMPB, DMPC).  Applications that emphasize drug synthesis with limited biological assessments are reviewed in CBP. Applications that emphasize drug function and therapeutic potential are reviewed in DMPA, DMPB, or DMPC.

There are shared interests in chemical and biochemical aspects of drug discovery and probe development with Macromolecular Structure and Function A (MSFA). Applications that emphasize development and/or deployment of empirical synthetic and medicinal chemistry are reviewed in CBP. Applications that focus using elements of structure-based computational analysis and design/bioinorganic approaches to probe development are reviewed in MSFA.

There are shared interests in chemical synthesis of reagents and probes for use with bioanalytical and biophysical technologies with Enabling Bioanalytical and Imaging Technologies (EBIT). Applications that emphasize development of novel probes are reviewed in CBP. Applications that deploy well-established strategies while emphasizing customized adaptation to bioanalytical detection are reviewed in EBIT.

There are shared interests in reviewing studies of effects of molecular probes or prospective therapeutic modifiers of prokaryotic or eukaryotic pathogens with Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology (PCMB), Bacterial-Host Interactions (BHI), Bacterial Virulence (BV) and Pathogenic Eukaryotes (PTHE). Applications that emphasize development of novel synthetic or medicinal chemistry approaches are reviewed in CBP. Applications that use known or modestly modified drugs as probes are reviewed in PCMB, BHI, BV or PTHE.

There are shared interests in reviewing studies of effects of molecular probes or prospective therapeutic modifiers of viral activity with Molecular and Cellular Biology of Virus Infection (MCV), Viral Dynamics and Transmission (VDT), and Viral Pathogenesis and Immunity (VPI). Applications that emphasize development of novel synthetic or medicinal chemistry approaches are reviewed in CBP. Applications that emphasize understanding fundamental viral processes or pathogenesis mechanisms using known or modestly modified drugs as probes are reviewed in MCV, VDT, VPI.