Bioanalytical workflow in academia: From synthesis to preclinical development
Medicinal chemistry essentially involves the strategic design, optimization, and synthesis of therapeutically active and clinically relevant drug molecules. However, this goal cannot be achieved without bioanalytical chemistry, which plays a pivotal role in determining the pharmacological and safety profile of each new chemical entity in vitro and in vivo. Such data provides valuable insight for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies and prodrug development on lead drug candidates prior to clinical analysis.
LC-MS/MS-based technologies have become preeminent bioanalytical tools in assessing the biological properties (i.e., ADMET) of drug-like compounds, offering the automation, ionization efficiency, and detection sensitivity necessary to produce experimental results in a reliable, reproducible, and timely fashion for medicinal chemistry teams in both academia and industry.
In this webinar, hear how an academic lab uses LC-MS/MS to handle the demanding workflow from several drug development projects at the same time. Learn about the bioanalytical facility within the Liotta group at Emory University, and how its research program has significantly progressed with the aid of LC-MS/MS equipment.
Key learning objectives
- Significance of LC-MS/MS for in vitro and in vivo sample analysis
- Organizing an efficient workflow on several active medicinal chemistry projects
- Method development on compounds with drastically different physical and chemical properties
Who should attend?
This webinar will be particularly useful for medicinal chemists, analytical chemists, and professors/team leads.
Presenter: Savita K Sharma (Scientist and team lead, bioanalytical, Liotta research lab,, Emory University)
Dr. Savita K Sharma has a background in bioinorganic, organic, and bioanalytical chemistry. She graduated with a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Delhi, India, under the supervision of Prof. Rajeev Gupta. Following this, Dr. Sharma held postdoctoral positions in the labs of Prof. MacBeth at Emory University and Prof. Kenneth D. Karlin at Johns Hopkins University, where she expanded her knowledge of medicinal chemistry, working on various synthetic models of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) and nitric oxide dioxygenase (NOD) enzymatic systems. With a newly found excitement for medicinal chemistry, Dr. Sharma was given a research opportunity in Prof. Dennis Liotta’s drug discovery program at Emory University, where she is now the lead group member of the bioanalytical wing in his lab, and is responsible for investigating the pharmacological properties (i.e., ADMET profile) of synthesized drug molecules with activity against HIV HBV, RSV, cancer, and CNS disorders. In this role, Dr. Sharma is primarily responsible for designing and executing in vitro assays which cover cell permeability, metabolic stability, CYP inhibition, drug-protein binding, and cytotoxicity. She also interprets experimental data fed through LC-MS/MS and other analytical methods to provide detailed reports to all project leads within the Liotta group. The analytical work done thus far has produced pivotal pharmacological information for each team, allowing individual members to develop highly potent and safe drug candidates.
Moderator: Sarah Thomas (Editorial Team, SelectScience)
Sarah studied biology at the University of Bath, UK, and has worked in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis. As a member of the Editorial team, Sarah plays an integral role in shaping the content on SelectScience.
