DPFS Resource request (University of Sheffield) A High-content high-throughput Screening Facility in an Academic Setting

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Thanks to the recent multi-national efforts to sequence the entire genomes of species as diverse as worms and humans, we now know that humans and lower organisms share remarkably similar sets of genes. This finding has transformed our understanding of human biology, through the realisation that many of the cellular and biochemical processes controlled by these genes in simple organisms also operate in ourselves. Most of our knowledge about the control of cells and organ systems has come from the study of a few so-called ?model organisms?, especially the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and the tropical fish Danio rerio (commonly known as the zebrafish). Studies of such organisms have the potential to revolutionise our understanding, diagnosis and treatment of human disease, a premise that underpins the activities of the MRC Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics. A key aim of the Centre is to encourage the rapid translation of our basic research findings into clinical application. This proposal will facilitate such translation by providing the means to screen for small molecules that can modulate pathogenic processes in model organisms. Such small molecules will provide powerful tools for probing the molecular basis of these processes and in some cases will provide leads for the developments of new drugs for their treatment.