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Researchers from the University of Adélaide have developed new technology for drug and functional genomics screenings, which could reshape the way diseases are treated.
The technology called DFlash (double activity sensor of the fluorescent transcription factor for the reporting of living cells integrated into histones) is a modular biological track sensor which makes it possible to identify new cellular targets in the treatment of the disease.
The global objective of DFLASH is to develop a system that would allow researchers to study any way of interest for cells to explore how they could be targeted in the treatment of the disease and / or used to develop new drugs.
This new technology allows rapid screening of hundreds of thousands to millions of drugs or individual genes in living cells to accelerate the identification of new therapeutic targets and drugs.
The work of researchers at the University School of Biological Sciences, Robinson Research Institute (RRI), Adelaide Center for Epigenetics, South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute (SAIGENCI), were published in Nature communications.
To demonstrate this, the authors used DFlash to explore how cells react to a low oxygen, which is very important in the treatment of cancer and anemia, and the hormonal signaling pathway which plays an imperative role in the control of women’s reproduction.
Together, DFLASH provides a very sensitive system that can be used for large -scale drugs and genetic screens, in order to identify new drugs and genes (DNA) which control the signaling pathways of therapeutic interest.
“The report on the activity of the transcription factor of live cells (TF) is crucial for synthetic biology, discovery of drugs and functional genomics,” said the author and principal researcher, Dr. David Bersten de RRI.
“This considerably accelerates the discovery of potential treatments in a range of conditions, including cancer, metabolic diseases and non -hormonal contraceptive candidates.
“It opens the door to a faster and more profitable identification of new drug targets.”
The paper co-author and the higher candidate of the research candidate, Alison Roennfeldt, said that the DFLASH already fueled several new fascinating directions.
“We now use it to allow precision targeting for cell therapies and to explore the regimal DNA grammar – how the sequence and the structure of DNA affect gene control,” said Roennfeldt, also from RRI.
“These advances could reshape the way we approach the treatment of disease and genetic research.”
Dr. Bersten said that research highlights the power of collaborative innovation in the conduct of new generation tools for biology and medicine, with the school of biological science laboratories of Professor Murray Whitelaw, the associate Professor Daniel Peet and Professor Darryl Russell all collaborating on this project.
“We believe that DFlash will serve as fundamental technology both for university research and therapeutic development, with large applications through biomedical sciences,” said Dr. Bersten.
More information:
Timothy P. Allen et al, Dflash; Activity sensor of the double fluorescence transcription factor for the declaration of living cells integrated by histones and high -content screening, Nature communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038 / S41467-025-58488-W
Supplied by the University of Adelaide
Quote: Platform technology exceeds millions of drugs and genes to reveal new therapeutic paths (2025, April 29) recovered on April 29, 2025 from
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