Advancing drug discovery at speed and scale
Rapid high-capacity screening takes fundamental biological breakthroughs out of the lab and kick-starts the journey towards a new medicine.
When a scientist identifies a disease target, like a protein that helps cancer spread, the NDDC can run millions of tests to find specific compounds that can block it.
“It’s like searching for – and actually spotting – the tiniest of needles in a massive haystack,” says centre co-head Associate Professor Kym Lowes.
The centre’s state-of-the-art robotic technologies run at a speed and scale comparable to those used in leading global pharmaceutical companies.
For WEHI director Professor Ken Smith, it’s a critical missing link.
“We know the journey from a promising initial screen to the launch of a new, life-saving drug takes many years and significant investment,” he says.
“But without this first vital step, our most important medical breakthroughs will likely never reach the clinic to help patients.”
Five years since it launched, advances powered by the NDDC are helping transform medical research in Australia and fast-tracking development of new home-grown treatments.