Screening Introduction

The ICCB-Longwood Investigator Initiated Screening Program assists academic researchers in carrying out high-throughput screens of chemical libraries to identify new tools for biological research. The ICCB-Longwood screening facility is built around modular work stations, and assays are generally carried out in 384-well plates. The ICCB-Longwood compound collection is continuously growing, and over 125,000 compounds are currently available for screening. The facility employs a staff-assisted screening model, in which investigators using the facility are provided with access to compound libraries and training in the use of some instruments, such as liquid handling equipment, plate readers, and screening microscopes. Staff members run all complex automation for screens.

The ICCB-Longwood screening effort is expanded through close interactions with two other Harvard Medical School-affiliated programs, the National Screening Laboratory for the Regional Centers of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease (NSRB) and the Laboratory for Drug Discovery (LDDN). Together, these three screening efforts focus on broadly different areas, but all share the goal of using small molecule screens to analyze a variety of biological processes. Compound libraries and other resources are shared among the three groups, with each providing support in its particular area of expertise.