Scientific scope and capacities
EATRIS-CZ provides an integrated small-molecule pipeline combining medicinal chemistry, structural biology, screening biology, analytical characterisation and formulation/drug-delivery expertise across partner institutions (notably IOCB, UCT, IMC and IMTM). Core strengths include hit discovery and profiling using HTS/HCS and advanced cellular systems (3D cultures and organoids), medicinal chemistry and hit-to-lead optimisation, and molecular/biophysical characterisation supporting structure–activity relationships and mechanism-of-action studies.
Main services to users (examples)
- Target-linked assay development and HTS/HCS campaigns, including multiparametric phenotypic and mechanistic readouts;
- Compound profiling, hit confirmation and prioritisation (including data traceability and SAR exploration);
- Medicinal chemistry support for optimisation, synthesis of analogues and chemical probes, and analytical verification;
- Advanced delivery/formulation concepts (e.g., polymer and nanomedicine approaches) to tune PK/PD and tissue targeting;
- Screening and medicinal-chemistry informatics through the MedChemBio Portal (http://medchembio.imtm.cz), enabling compound registration, QC, provenance tracking, assay management and reporting; the system hosts a large compound space integrated with bioactivity data.
Technology basis strengthened in 2020–2024.
At IMTM, major upgrades in automated liquid handling and screening analytics (e.g., Echo-type acoustic dispensing, Tecan Fluent automation and EnVision Nexus detection) improved miniaturisation, reproducibility and traceability, allowing larger and more complex screening projects and more reliable progression from hits to decision-grade leads.
The EATRIS Small Molecules platform supports the pre-clinical and clinical development of drug candidates, utilizing academic expertise around novel targets and molecular scaffolds. The platform offers expert translational medicine institutions and has access to advanced screening facilities with innovative cell-based assays as well as integrated use of the latest biomarker techniques. Tailored animal models help shorten the time to in vivo proof of concept and study the mode of action of novel drug candidates and targets, supported by experts in pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, analytical chemistry and toxicology. In addition, crossover synergy is provided by the EATRIS Imaging & Tracing and Biomarker platforms to speed up small molecules development programmes to achieve early proof of concept all within one infrastructure.
EATRIS-CZ participation
- IMTM, UCT Prague, IOCB Prague, IMC
Major technologies/infrastructures
- uHTS/HCA analysis, medicinal chemistry, scale-up synthesis, analytical chemistry, drug formulation, GMP production plants, clinical trial unit, animal facilities, imaging