title: The industrialisation of cellular screening.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cell-based assays have become the method of choice for compound screening in drug discovery. Such assays are used in high-throughput screening to identify molecules for lead optimisation and to support subsequent chemistry programmes in developing clinical candidates.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this article we describe the technologies and working practices that have been adopted in our laboratory and others to improve assay consistency and reduce the costs associated with cell-based screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The key to the success of cell-based screening is the adoption of automated methods of cell culture or the use of cryopreserved cells to reduce biological variability, and the use of simple assay protocols and automation solutions to improve assay performance. In addition, we describe the adoption of several working practices common to the manufacturing industry to reduce variability in the screening process. We describe how the adoption of these technologies and working practices within an industrial environment allows the use of cell-based assays for the identification and optimisation of new clinical candidates.
authors.affiliation: GlaxoSmithKline, Screening and Compound Profiling Department, New Frontiers Science Park, Third Avenue, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5AW, UK +44 1279 622661 ; +44 1279 6278781 ; steve.x.rees@gsk.com.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wise