Research Groups and R&D Platforms: Lead optimization
R&D Platform:
Materials Research Laboratory
Materials Research Laboratory consists of two research groups, Materials Science (Prof. Edwin Kukk) and Materials Physics (Prof. Kalevi Kokko), focusing on both fundamental and applied physics. The interdisciplinary research combines experimental, computational, and theoretical investigations on, for example, organic molecules, semiconductors and other electronic materials, interfaces and surfaces of various systems, metal clusters and metal alloys with aim to better understand the physical and chemical phenomena and to develop materials for new technologies. National and international collaboration with other departments, universities and companies is an important part of our research.
The experiments are performed both at home laboratory and synchrotron facilities around the world. Electronic, chemical and structural properties of different type of materials are studied combining several spectroscopic and microscopic methods like Time-of-flight/mass spectroscopy (TOF/MS), Photoelectron or Auger electron spectroscopy (XPS/AES) , Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and Electron diffraction (LEED) together with computational material physics. The know-how on development of new materials (e.g., surface passivation coatings) for electronic industry applications is strongly related to the thin film growth by using home-build atomic layer deposition equipment. We also design and build research instruments like electron-ion coincidence spectrometers or cluster sources to be used in gas-phase studies of molecules and clusters.
Lead optimization, Preclinical development
Research Group:
High Content Screening Laboratory
Matthias Nees (Principal Investigator)
Malin Åkerfelt (Contact person, in picture)
malake[at]utu.fi
Institute of Biomedicine,
Univesity of Turku
Assay development, Bioinformatics, Biomedicine, Biotechnology, Breast cancer, Cancer, Disease models, Drug target, High throughput imaging, Hit to lead, Imaging, Inflammation, Lead optimization, Lung cancer, Machine learning, Molecular Cell Biology, Natural Compounds, Prostate cancer, Screening, Target discovery
R&D Platform:
Turku Center for Disease Modeling
TCDM is a research and research service organization at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, and is part of the Biocenter Finland “Model Organisms” network. TCDM provides state-of-art research facilities and expertise in studies in experimental animals to support both academic and industrial associated preclinical research. The facilities and expertise are also available for contract research.
The services provided by TCDM are always tailored according to customer’s needs. TCDM generates tumor xenograft and genetically modified mouse models for human diseases. Services using the animal models include pharmacological, dietary and surgical interventions as well as phenotyping analyses on our expertise areas: bone, cardiovascular, intestinal and thyroid diseases, obesity, oncology, neuroendocrinology and reproduction. Phenotyping analyses offered include histology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, hormonal measurements, in vivo imaging for live animals, for example PET/CT, magnetic resonance, ultrasound and optical imaging. For drug development TCDM services include several type of drug efficacy tests, pharmacokinetic analyses of drug compounds and in vivo biodistribution analyses using preclinical animal models. Moreover, TCDM Biostatistics unit offers know-how on the computational and mathematical analyses related to preclinical animal studies, including their experimental design and statistical analysis.
Cancer, Cardiovascular diseases, Disease models, Lead optimization, Obesity, Preclinical development
Research Group:
Medicinal Chemistry
Olli Pentikäinen
olli.pentikainen[at]utu.fi
Institute of Biomedicine,
University of Turku
Autoimmune diseases, Basic research, Bioinformatics, Biomedicine, Cancer, Hit to lead, Inflammation, Inherited diseases, Lead optimization, Medicinal chemistry, Molecular modelling, Organic compounds, Pharmacology, Physico-chemical properties, Receptor, Screening, Signaling, Structural Biology, Synthetic chemistry
Research Group:
Systems Molecular Engineering
Jianwei Li
jianwei.li[at]utu.fi
Department of Chemistry,
University of Turku
Atomic-force microscopy, Basic research, Biochemistry, Biomarker, Biomedicine, Biomolecular chemistry, Biotechnology, Cancer, Chemical Physics, Combinatorial chemistry, Drug delivery, Drug target, Electron microscopy, Fluorescence spectroscopy, FTIR or RAMAN spectroscopy, Hit to lead, Imaging, Infection, Inflammation, Lead optimization, Medicinal chemistry, Microstructure analysis, Molecular modelling, Nanoparticles, Natural Compounds, Next-generation sequencing, NMR, Nucleic acids, Organic Chemistry, Organic compounds, Particle size analysis, Physico-chemical properties, Powder X-ray diffraction, Preclinical development, Proteomics, Screening, Structural Biology, Synthetic Biology, Synthetic chemistry, Thermal analysis, X-ray crystallography
Research Group:
Structural bioinformatics for drug discovery and development
Mark S. Johnson
finmark54 at icloud dot com
Biochemistry,
Åbo Akademi University
Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory
Ageing-related diseases, Autoimmune diseases, Basic research, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biomolecular chemistry, Biopharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Cancer, Chemical Physics, Computer Science, Diabetes, Drug target, Hit to lead, Inflammation, Inherited diseases, Lead optimization, Lung cancer, Medicinal chemistry, Metabolic diseases, Molecular modelling, Musculoskeletal disorders, Nucleic acids, Organic compounds, Pattern recognition, Personalized medicine, Physico-chemical properties, Preclinical development, Receptor, Signaling, Structural Biology, Surface area, Target discovery, X-ray crystallography
