Compound screening method
AssigneeDevgen NV
InventorsPhilippe Verwaerde, Christ Platteeuw, Gwladys Cuvillier, Thierry Bogaert
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Abstract
The invention relates to screening methods using nematode worms, particularly but not exclusively C. elegans, which are adapted to be performed in a high-throughput format.
Claims27
A method of identifying chemical substances which have potential pharmacological activity using nematode worms, which method comprises the steps of:
- (a) dispensing substantially equal numbers of nematode worms into each of the wells of a multi-well assay plate;
- (b) contacting the nematode worms with a chemical substance;
- (c) detecting a signal indicating phenotypic, physiological, behavioral, or biochemical changes in the nematode worms using non-visual detection means;
- wherein step (a) is performed in a multi-well plate with liquid assay medium containing a water soluble polymer at a concentration sufficient to increase the viscosity of the medium;
- wherein the water soluble polymer is medium viscosity carboxymethyl cellulose.
A method of identifying chemical substances which have potential pharmacological activity using nematode worms, which method comprises the steps of:
- (a) dispensing substantially equal numbers of nematode worms into each of the wells of a multi-well assay plate;
- (b) contacting the nematode worms with a chemical substance;
- (c) detecting a signal indicating phenotypic, physiological, behavioral, or biochemical changes in the nematode worms using non-visual detection means;
- wherein step (a) is performed in a multi-well plate with liquid assay medium containing a water soluble polymer at a concentration sufficient to prevent the nematode worms from sticking to the wells of the multi-well plate.
A method of identifying chemical substances which have potential pharmacological activity using nematode worms, which method comprises the steps of:
- (a) dispensing substantially equal numbers of nematode worms into each of the wells of a multi-well assay plate;
- (b) contacting the nematode worms with a chemical substance;
- (c) detecting a signal indicating phenotypic, physiological, behavioural, or biochemical changes in the nematode worms using non-visual detection means,
- wherein the assay is carried out in a liquid medium having a viscosity greater than M9 medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.