Chemical Genetics
This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 564, an undergraduate capstone course at UW-Madison.
What is Chemical Genetics?
Chemical Genetics uses techniques from drug discovery to solve biological problems [1]. Researchers can use in vitro screens to determine how select small molecules interact with their gene or protein of interest. Using this technique, researchers can discover novel drugs to treat disease.
Chemical Genetics uses techniques from drug discovery to solve biological problems [1]. Researchers can use in vitro screens to determine how select small molecules interact with their gene or protein of interest. Using this technique, researchers can discover novel drugs to treat disease.
Chemical Screen
Figure 1 shows an example of using zebrafish embryos for a chemical screen. Zebrafish embryos can be placed into 96-well plates with a diverse array of small molecules. I could use this technique to screen for a novel drug that treated malaria without resulting in hemolysis. Zebrafish are a good model organism for this screen because the phenotypic reaction to the small molecules can be easily seen due to their transparent nature. |
Discussion
Discoveries in chemical genetics can also be good starting points for asking new research questions. The Pubchem database is a useful tool to discover what is already known about small molecule interactions with your gene and protein of interest, and what is yet to be researched [5]. As of right now, there are no recorded small molecules that can treat Plasmodium vivax malaria (the type that relapses) in G6PD deficient individuals without causing hemolysis. However, the Medicines for Malaria Venture has developed a Pathogen Box (Figure 2) that contains 400 diverse small-molecules that researchers could order and run chemical genetic screens on to look for novel drugs to treat vivax malaria [3].
Discoveries in chemical genetics can also be good starting points for asking new research questions. The Pubchem database is a useful tool to discover what is already known about small molecule interactions with your gene and protein of interest, and what is yet to be researched [5]. As of right now, there are no recorded small molecules that can treat Plasmodium vivax malaria (the type that relapses) in G6PD deficient individuals without causing hemolysis. However, the Medicines for Malaria Venture has developed a Pathogen Box (Figure 2) that contains 400 diverse small-molecules that researchers could order and run chemical genetic screens on to look for novel drugs to treat vivax malaria [3].
Figure 2. Modelled on the Malaria Box, the Pathogen Box contains 400 diverse, drug-like molecules active against neglected diseases of interest and is available free of charge. The Pathogen Box compounds are supplied in 96-well plates, containing 10μL of a 10mM dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution of each compound. Upon request, researchers around the world will receive a Pathogen Box of molecules to help catalyse neglected disease drug discovery [4].