Preface

This book provides a comprehensive overview of high-throughput screening (HTS) and its role in the development of novel drugs for precision medicine, infectious diseases, and cell signaling modulators. It highlights recent advancements as well as future directions in the field. The book focuses on various aspects of HTS for drug discovery for various communicable and non-communicable diseases. HTS is a widely used procedure for identifying bioactive compounds. The function of a target (typically a protein) is determined in presence of a library of compounds for their ability to induce the desired modification. The objective of HTS is to identify the lead compounds that can be developed into drugs of choice. The fact that compound discovery is driven by functional activity rather than known binding is a significant advantage of using HTS. HTS is a well-established method for identifying chemical starting points for drug discovery, with most pharmaceutical companies now screening hundreds of thousands or millions of compounds against a protein of interest. As a result, one of the most valuable assets a pharmaceutical company possesses is its library of HTS-ready compounds. HTS has recently been made possible by advances in robotics, liquid handling, plate reader detection, and high-speed computers. Nonetheless, HTS still necessitates a highly specialized and costly screening facility, which not every lab can afford. Instead of establishing their own facility, institutions with limited budgets typically use HTS services provided by third-party providers such as contract research organizations (CROs) or, more commonly in an academic setting, core facilities.

Using HTS, we can now perform an exhaustive number of measurements in a short period of time using high-throughput technologies, giving access to individuals' DNA (genomics), transcribed RNA from genes over time (transcriptomics), DNA methylation and protein profiles of specific tissues and cells (epigenomics and proteomics), metabolites (metabolomics), and other types of omics data that helps to identify the role of HTS in personalized and precision medicine. This book focuses on the understanding of HTS from various perspectives while discussing the crucial aspect of drug discovery. It is a self-contained collection of scholarly contributions targeting an audience of practicing researchers, academics, Ph.D. students, and other scientists.

I am overwhelmed in all humbleness and gratefulness to acknowledge all the contributors who trusted me and supported me in this work. My research fellows and students are central to all my research and academic work. They are the motivating force behind anything constructive I do. They are truly brilliant and have a bright future. I would like to express gratitude to our mentors, teachers, and students who gave me the strength to see this project to fruition. Also, I would like to thank the colleagues, family, and friends who provided encouragement and support. A happy environment at home is essential for any kind of growth, and I thank my family, especially my talented wife and children, for the same.

#### **Dr. Shailendra K. Saxena** Professor, Center for Advanced Research (CFAR), Faculty of Medicine, King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, India
