Researchers at the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research have developed a next-generation technology platform designed to accelerate one of the slowest stages of cancer drug discovery: identifying promising compounds that could become new therapies, according to a June 16 announcement.
The automated, ultrahigh-throughput platform integrates chemical synthesis, biological testing, and mass spectrometry into a single workflow. This allows researchers to generate, evaluate, and refine potential drug candidates within the same system. The research was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and represents over a decade of development at Purdue.
The platform is based on desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS), a technology pioneered at Purdue that enables rapid analysis and testing with small sample volumes. Traditionally, early-stage drug discovery involves separate steps handled by different teams. Chemists synthesize compounds while biologists test them against disease targets; significant time is spent purifying and analyzing results before repeating the cycle. Morato said chemistry has historically lagged behind automation already common in biology: "If you walk through a chemistry building late at night, the lights that are still on are probably organic synthesis labs," Morato said. "You still see flasks on heating plates waiting overnight for reactions. Meanwhile, biology has evolved into highly automated, instrumentation-driven science. There's been a disconnect between those worlds." The new system aims to combine these traditionally separate stages into an integrated workflow.
Andrew Mesecar, director of the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research and distinguished professor of biochemistry, said, "The new DESI-MS platform enables researchers to rapidly screen tens of thousands of molecules against newly identified cancer targets to identify promising therapeutic candidates... Every year we eliminate from the drug development process means we will get new drugs to patients faster and extend their lives." The technology has already influenced ongoing research projects at Purdue by helping redirect efforts more quickly when previous approaches proved unproductive.
R. Graham Cooks—whose laboratory invented DESI nearly two decades ago—said, "Mass spectrometry is now a very important part of drug discovery... Every large pharmaceutical company now has hundreds of scientists whose prime instrumentation is a mass spectrometer." Cooks also noted, "The Achilles' heel of drug discovery is its low speed... This platform increases the speed of several distinct aspects of drug discovery." He added that advanced mass spectrometry technologies are becoming increasingly important in both diagnosis and surgical decision-making for cancer.
Morato emphasized that beyond speeding up chemistry alone, their broader vision is an integrated approach enabling rapid cycles between prediction using artificial intelligence tools and experimental validation: "AI is only as good as the data you feed it," Morato said. "What this platform allows us to do is generate huge volumes of high-quality experimental data very quickly." The project received support from federal programs aimed at advancing automation technology in preclinical research cycles; several patents have been filed through Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization.
