Biomedical research; discovery, design and administration of small molecule inhibitors; pharmacology, toxicology and pharmaceutical science
Our medicinal chemistry laboratory designs and develops new drugs capable of specifically inhibiting the biological activity of proteins strongly involved in the growth of various diseased tissues such as cancerous tumours and skin (psoriasis). The general objective of our research programs is to develop, using innovative approaches, new drugs that will be more selective against these diseased tissues and therefore less harmful to patients. To this end, our research infrastructure includes a pharmaceutical chemistry laboratory, a pharmacology laboratory, a cell biology laboratory and an animal biology laboratory. Our research projects cover a broad spectrum of drug development and range from the design and preparation of new pharmacologically active agents to their biological evaluation in animal models such as mice and chick embryos (CAM assay). Our laboratories are equipped with the cutting edge of technology. The expertise and know-how that we have developed over the years allow us to carry out the majority of projects relating directly or indirectly to the development and biological evaluation of new molecules.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of experiences and services in our area of expertise that we can offer to the scientific community:
- Preparation and chemical characterization of new compounds
- Purity assessment by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)
- Evaluation of cell viability, antiproliferative activity and cytotoxicity of experimental compounds on normal, cancerous and chemoresistant cells
- Assessment of the effect of experimental compounds on cell cycle progression
- Assessment of antimitotic affinity for the colchicine binding site
- Separation and detection of proteins by electrophoresis (western blot)
- Inhibitions of several enzymes (enzymatic assays)
- Stability evaluation of pharmacologically active entities on cytochromes P450 and on liver microsomes
- Evaluation of the antitumour activity and the systemic toxicity of new compounds on human fibrosarcomas (HT-1080) grafted to the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken embryos CAM assay
- Chemical industries
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized lab | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry laboratory | CEM Corporation Discover SP microwave system and Explorer 12 | For automated handling, CEM Corporation, EXP-SP12. The microwave oven speed ups chemical reactions and also enables the use of “new” chemistries that are not achievable through classical organic chemistries |
| Chemistry laboratory | Isolera One Automated Flash Purification System with a Biotage ISO-1SV variable wavelength detector | This chromatographic automated flash purification system is specifically designed for chemists needing an automated purification platform to increase productivity |
| Chemistry laboratory | Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) Waters ACQUITY Arc system | This UHPLC system enables reverse-phase liquid chromatography and, in particular, high-quality, reproducible analyses of the purity and stability of new molecules |
| Animal experimentation facility | Berry Hill Limited Automatic Roll-X HI-TECH Incubators | These incubators make it possible to carry out experiments with chicken embryos |
| Animal experimentation facility | Lyon Technologies Profi-I Incubator/Hatcher | These incubators make it possible to carry out experiments with chicken embryos |
Additional information
| Title | URL |
|---|---|
| Sébastien Fortin | http://www.crchudequebec.ulaval.ca/en/research/researchers/sebastien-fortin/ |