Foundations of Drug Discovery: Targets, Assays, and Screening

The journey of creating a life-saving medicine begins long before clinical trials, starting with the search for a single active molecule. Understanding how researchers identify biological targets and screen thousands of compounds is the cornerstone of modern pharmaceutical science. This written course guides you through the fundamental principles of early-stage drug discovery. You will build a solid understanding of how therapeutic targets are selected, how biological assays are designed to test molecular activity, and how screening methodologies identify promising drug candidates. What you'll learn: - Understand the core concepts of drug targets, including receptors, enzymes, and the biological pathways involved in disease. - Explore different assay formats, including biochemical and cell-based assays, and how to select the right method for your target. - Analyze screening strategies, such as high-throughput screening (HTS) and modern virtual screening workflows. - Evaluate assay quality and reliability using essential industry metrics like the Z'-factor. - Apply target validation techniques to confirm that active molecules truly engage with their intended biological targets. You will begin with foundational definitions of disease pathways and drug targets before progressing to assay design, screening technologies, and validation strategies. Through clear written explanations and practical scenarios, you will develop a conceptual framework for evaluating early-stage drug candidates. This course is designed for students, researchers, and professionals in the life sciences who are new to the drug discovery pipeline. No prior experience in pharmaceutical development is required. Start reading today to master the fundamentals of molecular screening and target validation.