Nanometric mega-libraries

For decades the pharmaceutical industry has synthesized millions of molecular entities in the pursuit of novel biological activities. These huge compound libraries have always been considered a treasure trove of potential new drugs for a plethora of new therapeutic targets. With the huge progress in laboratory automation and high-throughput technology over the last decade, library screening remains a key drug discovery strategy. The size of these libraries and their handling present however multiple challenges, starting from the synthesis and screening speed, storage space, and annotation required when working with Singleton compounds. A clever alternative finds inspiration from biology and leverages the DNA information storage power. This is known as DNA Encoded Libraries, or DELs. Dr. Katelyn Billings is a pioneer of this technology that offers a number of advantages, starting from the possibility of working on the nanoscale in as little as a few microliters to make and screen millions of molecules as a pool. In this episode we learn about how DELs work and discuss their advantages, challenges and the promise of combining data from DEL screens with machine learning to disrupt modern drug discovery.

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About Your Host

Paolo Braiuca grew up in the North-East of Italy and holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from nearby esteemed University of Trieste, Italy.  He developed expertise in biocatalysis during his years of post-doctoral research in Italy and the UK, where he co-founded a startup company. With this new venture, Paolo’s career shifted from R&D to business development, taking on roles in commercial, product management, and marketing. He has worked in the specialty chemicals, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical markets in Germany and the UK, where he presently resides.

He is currently the Director of Global Market Development in the Laboratory Chemicals Division  at Thermo Fisher Scientific™ which put him in the host chair of the Bringing Chemistry to Life podcast. A busy father of four, in what little free time he has, you’ll find him inventing electronic devices with the help of his loyal 3D-printer and soldering iron. And if you ask him, he’ll call himself a “maker” at heart.