Chemical Biology: High-Throughput and High-Content Screening

This lecture introduces the field of Chemical Biology, focusing on the development and applications of chemical and physical principles to study complex biological mechanisms. It covers the emergence of Chemical Biology in the early nineties, spanning various scientific fields. The lecture discusses the differences between pharmacological and genetic screening approaches, the impact of high-throughput screening in drug discovery, and factors to consider in setting up small-molecule screens. It also explores RNA interference pathways, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing basics, and the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into lung organoids. A case-study on anti-SARS-CoV-2 lead compounds using lung and colonic organoids is presented, highlighting the importance of choosing the right model system for screening programs.