ABSTRACT
There is a general need for improvements in current drug discovery methodologies motivated by less than ideal screening and validation ef‡ciencies of targets.1 Potential useful targets have been unearthed via proteomic and genomic techniques with microarray technology, allowing for the extraction of further information from smaller sample volumes. However, problems associated with the biological and chemical aspects of targets selected have been shown to be a constant hurdle during this process. These challenges include poorly validated targets failing at various stages or failures in lead assessments. Highthroughput screening (HTS) technologies have thus far been used in candidate selection of leads and address the quantitative aspect of this process. Further improvements are required in order for quality to be ensured in minimal time and high ef‡ciency.2 This would ensure the decrease in time to market of possible drug candidates, as secondary screening tends to require more time in optimizing via synthetic chemistry techniques
CONTENTS
24.1 Metal Nanoparticles in Drug Discovery ...................................................................... 479 24.2 The Nano-Bio Interface ...................................................................................................480
