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Biomedical subjects

Colin J H Brenan

Publications and source records attributed to Colin J H Brenan.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Nanoliter high throughput quantitative PCR.

Understanding biological complexity arising from patterns of gene expression requires accurate and precise measurement of RNA levels across large numbers of genes simultaneously. Real time PCR (RT-PCR) in a microtiter plate is the preferred method for quantitative transcriptional analysis but scaling RT-PCR to higher throughputs in this fluidic format is intrinsically limited by cost and logistic considerations. Hybridization microarrays measure the transcription of many thousands of genes simultaneously yet are limited by low sensitivity, dynamic range, accuracy and sample throughput. The hybrid approach described here combines the superior accuracy, precision and dynamic range of RT-PCR with the parallelism of a microarray in an array of 3072 real time, 33 nl polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCRs) the size of a microscope slide. RT-PCR is demonstrated with an accuracy and precision equivalent to the same assay in a 384-well microplate but in a 64-fold smaller reaction volume, a 24-fold higher analytical throughput and a workflow compatible with standard microplate protocols.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed2004

High throughput screening via mass spectrometry: a case study using acetylcholinesterase.

Mass spectrometry-based screening can be applied to a wide range of targets, including those intractable targets that use substrates such as lipids, fatty acids, phospholipids, steroids, prostaglandins, and other compounds not generally amenable to conventional screening techniques. The major limitation to this approach is throughput, making HTS via mass spectrometry impractical. We present a mass spectrometry-based technique and hardware for lead discovery applications. Mass spectrometry enables the design of label-free assays using biologically native substrates for a wide range of enzymatic targets. This system can be used for the direct quantification of analytes in complex reaction mixtures with typical throughputs of 4-5 s per sample. A mass spectrometry-based assay was developed to identify inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme with clinical importance in Alzheimer's disease. The system was used to screen a small chemical library. Several potent inhibitors were identified, and the IC(50) values of the inhibitors were determined.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed2003

Laser Raman spectroscopic analysis of polymorphic forms in microliter fluid volumes.

Knowledge and control of the polymorphic phase of chemical compounds are important aspects of drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. We report herein in situ and real-time Raman spectroscopic polymorphic analysis of optically trapped microcrystals in a microliter volume format. The system studied in particular was the recrystallization of carbamazepine (CBZ) in methanol. Raman spectrometry enabled noninvasive measurement of the amount of dissolved CBZ in a sample as well as polymorphic characterization, whereas exclusive recrystallization of either CBZ form I or CBZ form III from saturated solutions was achieved by specific selection of sample cell cooling profiles. Additionally, using a microcell versus a macroscopic volume gives the advantage of reaching equilibrium much faster while using little compound quantity. We demonstrate that laser Raman spectral polymorphic analysis in a microliter cell is a potentially viable screening platform for polymorphic analysis and could lead to a new high throughput method for polymorph screening.

Crystallization↗