CEA Direction des sciences du vivant : Center of Bio-Active Molecules Screening

Center of Bio-Active Molecules Screening

Center of Bio-Active Molecules Screening
Combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screening laboratory

Objectives: to isolate molecules in thousands, acting on cell function.

The CMBA is settled in the Grenoble CEA since the beginning of 2002 and constitutes the first French academic high-throughput screening platform dedicated to cellular systems. The objectives of our complete program are the discovery and early characterization of new compounds from chemical libraries, bearing a biological activity on original cell phenotypes.
The characterized compounds are expected to be innovative research tools for Biology and/or drug candidates. Located in the heart of a state research organism, the center for Bio-Active Molecules Screening (CMBA) benefits from all the necessary expertise to realize screening on fundamental and original targets. The isolated molecules are then submitted to elaborate tests using for instance videomicroscopy and aiming at validating their efficiency.

CMBA expertise: screening using assays performed on living cells
The benefits derived from using intact, living cells for compound screening include:

. The isolation of functionally selective molecules, i.e. compounds which are active within the context of the subcellular "working environment";
. The isolation of compounds active on a cell function without any knowledge on the molecular and/or regulatory processes involved;

Additionally:
. The active compounds can be utilized as hooks to isolate their unknown protein targets;
. The drug effects on selective cell types can be distinguished

Chemical libraries screened at the CMBA
The chemical libraries screened at the CMBA is part of the French National Chemical Library (a CNRS initiative). It represents a total number of more than 11,000 molecules. Moreover, in collaboration with the DBJC/SMMCB, the CMBA disposes of several copies of the 17,000 compounds of the commercial Chembridge collection.

Resources

Staff
. 5 members
Equipement
. An automated screening station, settled under a laminar flow, including a liquid handling system, with disposable tips, an articulated arm to transport plates, a microplate washing device, a shaker, a CO₂ incubator, a storage carousel, readers (fluorescence, luminescence, absorbance);
. Softwares for serial devices driving and scheduling assays;
. Data analysis and traitment software in house developed
. Secured storage of the library, at -20°C et à 4°C;
. A laboratory dedicated to cell assays miniaturization

Applications fields
. Cytoskeleton and Cancer
. Signal transduction pathways
. Plant development
. Parasites and infectious diseases

Partnership:
CNRS, CEA, ARC foundation, Inserm.

Contacts:
L. Lafanechère (CEA Grenoble)
É. Maréchal (CEA Grenoble)
M. Fontecave (CEA Grenoble)

Life Sciences Division

Center of Bio-Active Molecules Screening