Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
SBS 2011 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are where important discussions happen. See a topic or challenge you’d like to help us tackle? Attend one or more SIG meetings at SBS 2011 and get involved! All are welcome. There is no fee to attend SIG meetings.
Tuesday, March 29, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Academic Outreach
Sandra Nelson, Chair
The mission of the Academic Outreach SIG is to foster greater interaction among academia, government, pharmaceutical research companies and suppliers. In keeping with that mission, the Academic Outreach SIG provides a venue for academics to meet and exchange ideas, common problems and solutions.
ADMET
Charles Crespi, Chair
The mission of the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Toxicology SIG is to advance drug discovery and development by promoting the discussion and dissemination of principles, topics and ideas for the integration of higher throughput technologies with methods for determining toxicity, pharmacokinetics and metabolism. The goal is to accelerate the drug discovery pipeline and shorten the time of the development of new drugs that cure illnesses and improve quality of life. This special interest group creates a bridge and network between scientists working in the fields of preclinical research, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and those who are the producers of combinatorial libraries.
Automation Quality Control
John Thomas Bradshaw and Jack Dawson, Chairs
The Automation Quality Control SIG provides a forum for discussion of topics relating to optimizing performances of laboratory instrumentation. The objective is to encourage development of procedures that should be of interest to instrument vendors and practitioners alike. Specific topics include:
- Developing best practices for assessing performance of liquid handlers, microplate readers and integrated systems with a view toward making it easier to compare instruments between vendors and to correlate results across platforms.
- Promoting the sharing of experiences and ideas on data formatting during acquisition and export. Techniques and strategies that ease the task of integrating new instrumentation into automated environments is of special interest.
Data and Image Analysis
Chair Chip Allee and Co-Chair Mann Shoffner
The Data and Image Analysis SIG is dedicated to sharing best practices, experiences and expertise, and to encouraging collaboration. The group will actively address issues in the area of information technology and strategies and foster discussions, information sharing and meetings among group members.
Drug Repositioning
Roger Bosse, Chair
The SIG on Drug Repositioning is a broad-based BSS initiative allowing its members to proactively address the specific challenges pertaining to their respective fields of expertise (technical, operational, legal, etc.) in relation to needs and benefits of repurposing drugs.
Microplate Standards
Amer El-Hage and Michael Shanler, Chairs
The Microplate Standards SIG exists to recommend, develop and maintain standards to facilitate automated processing of microplates on behalf of and for acceptance by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Once such standards are approved by the MSWG, they are presented to the BSS Executive Council for approval and submission to ANSI. Participation in this SLAS working group is open to all interested parties directly and materially affected by its activities, including nonmembers of SLAS.
Committee Operating Procedure
LinkedIn Subgroup
Published Standards
Previous Revisions
Previous Meeting Minutes
Published References
How to Reference Microplate Standards
Sample Management
Richard Kuo and Timothy Dawes, Chairs
The Sample Management SIG provides a forum for discussing sample library management issues in the modern drug-discovery high-throughput screening laboratory. Sample libraries include discrete compounds, defined compound mixtures, natural product extracts, and biologics (tissues, cells, DNA, RNA, and antibodies). Topics of critical importance include issues involved in:
- Sample Collection: Sample acquisition, structural diversity, physical storage, physical manipulation, sample purity and stability.
- Materials Management: Logistics, information technology, customer support, quality control and systems integration.
- Instrumentation and Laboratory Automation: Sample preparation, sample retrieval, screening set creation, non-scale technologies, and analytical methodologies.
Screen Design and Assay Technology
Kenda Evans, Chair
The goals of the Screen Design & Assay SIG are to:
Share current best practices and experiences in the design of screens for high- and ultra high-throughput screening programs.
- Provide a platform to encourage an open discussion among group members of any new screening technologies that can be beneficial to the screening community.
- Encourage academic and industrial members to actively contribute to the SIG.
- Identify any gaps in reagent(s) and instrumentation and/or in the screening environment, and seek to influence the appropriate supplier(s).
- Evaluate new technologies and instruments on a voluntary basis and share findings at technology-based user group meetings on a more frequent basis.
Stem Cells
Marcie Glicksman and Sitta Sittampalam, Chairs
The mission of the Stem Cells in Drug Discovery SIG is to promote the discussion and dissemination of information on new enabling technologies related to the use of stem cells and primary cells in drug discovery. We will discuss current developments in stem cell biology, human and mouse pluripotent stem cells, and reprogrammed stem cells. This group will function to create a bridge between the network of scientists working in the fields of regenerative medicine, stem cell biology, chemical biology and drug discovery.
