NCATS

THIS EVENT HAS ENDED

Video of the workshop is available at the links below:

Assay Guidance Workshop for Cell-Based Assays and Lead Discovery (Day 1) (November 16, 2021)

Assay Guidance Workshop for Cell-Based Assays and Lead Discovery (Day 2) (November 17, 2021)

About the Workshop

The NCATS Assay Guidance Manual (AGM) program is hosting a two-day workshop that will cover a broad range of critical concepts underlying high-content screening and analysis (Day 1) and complex in vitro models (CIVMs) in drug discovery (Day 2). This workshop is designed to disseminate critical information about the implementation of robust cellular assay methods and is particularly relevant for researchers developing molecular probes or clinical candidates. Many of the workshop instructors have 20 to 30 years of experience in the field of drug discovery and will share information not readily found in a classroom or published material outside of the AGM.

The goal of this workshop is to train scientists on the fundamentals and applications of image-based and 3D cellular assay technologies and engage in a dialogue with those curious to understand it on a deeper level. This workshop also aims to discuss challenges and standards for rigor to enable reproducible results, and provide a future perspective on the utility of complex cellular models in drug discovery.

Agenda

Download the agenda

About the Assay Guidance Manual

The Assay Guidance Manual (AGM) is a free, best-practices online resource devoted to the successful development of robust, early-stage drug discovery assays.

The manual was originally developed to provide step-by-step guidance based on experiential knowledge from drug developers for planning and executing projects in high-throughput screening, lead optimization and early phases of drug development. The AGM has now been expanded into a unique, user-friendly collection of over 50 chapters of well-tested knowledge, much of which is being documented for the first time. Methods outlined in the manual address appropriate statistical ways to analyze assay results and accommodate minor changes to assay protocols to ensure robustness.

Investigators worldwide can use the manual to design biologically and pharmacologically relevant assays for high-throughput screening and lead optimization to evaluate collections of molecules that modulate the activity of biological targets, pathways and cellular phenotypes.

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) manages the content of the manual with input from industry, academia and government experts. More than 100 authors from around the world have contributed content to this free resource, which is updated regularly and housed by the National Library of Medicine. The chapters have PubMed citations for the contributing authors.

Workshop Organizing Committee

Kyle Brimacombe, NCATS

Marc Ferrer, NCATS

Abigail Grossman, NCATS

Matthew Hall, NCATS

Sarine Markossian, NCATS

Terry Riss, Promega

Joe Trask, PerkinElmer