Small molecule screening program

人类基因组计划使得使用高通量技术在遗传和分子水平上研究细胞和组织的生物学变得越来越有可能。NIH化学基因组中心(NCGC)是作为NIH路线图分子图书馆倡议的一部分创建的，目的是建立一个化学基因组学计划，该计划的定义是使用小型有机化合物来研究基因组编码的基因产品和途径。通过在学术部门提供识别靶标、途径和细胞表型的生物活性化合物的能力，该计划将小分子筛选、化学和信息学的力量和多样性带给试图确定基因组编码的数万个人类基因的功能的广泛的研究人员。NCGC与分子图书馆筛选中心网络的外部中心一起，正在探索尚未发现小分子化学探针的大多数人类和其他基因组。这一倡议有望极大地提高对基因及其蛋白质产物功能机制的理解，并加快基于基因组知识的人类疾病治疗方法的开发。今年，NCGC的能力大幅增加，工作人员从4人增加到19人，获得并配备临时实验室空间，并开始筛选和化学操作。自2005年5月开始筛选以来，NCGC已经在10种化验中产生了超过120万个数据点，并已开始将这些HTS数据放入PubChem(www.pubChem.ncbi.nlm.gov)，这是国家生物技术信息中心作为分子图书馆路线图的一部分开发的免费提供的小分子及其活性数据库。

The Human Genome Project has made it increasingly possible to study the biology of cells, and tissues at the genetic and molecular level using high-throughput technologies. The NIH Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC) was created as part of the NIH Roadmap Molecular Libraries Initiative, to establish a program in chemical genomics, defined as the use of small organic compounds to study gene products and pathways encoded by the genome. By providing capacities in the academic sector to identify bioactive compounds for targets, pathways, and cellular phenotypes, this program is bringing the power and diversity of small-molecule screening, chemistry, and informatics to broad array of researchers attempting to determine the function of the tens of thousands of human genes encoded by the genome. The NCGC, together with the extramural centers of the Molecular Libraries Screening Center Network, is exploring the majority of human and other genomes for which no small-molecule chemical probes have been identified. This initiative promises to significantly improve the understanding of mechanisms by which genes and their protein products function and accelerate the development of therapies for human diseases based on knowledge of the genome. This year has seen a dramatic increase in the NCGC's capacities, increasing staff from 4 to 19, acquiring and outfitting temporary lab space, and beginning screening and chemistry operations. Since beginning screening in May 2005, the NCGC has generated over 1.2 million data points on 10 assays, and has begun to place these HTS data into PubChem (www.pubchem.ncbi.nlm.gov), the freely available database of small molecules and their activities developed as part of the Molecular Libraries Roadmap by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.