Phenotypic Screening
Bioactive chemical compounds are versatile tools to analyze cellular signaling pathways as well as molecular mechanisms and may serve as effective pharmaceutical intervention in a clinical setting. However, screening a library of chemical compounds requires technologies not generally accessible to cell biology laboratories.
To close this gap IBCII has built up a phenotypic screening platform providing microscopy-based and live-cell screening technologies, which enable the identification of biological vulnerabilities and the phenotypic characterization of compound mode-of-action. On the basis of collaboration, the platform supports both internal as well as external researchers with expertise on and execution of phenotypic screens to monitor biological processes and their alteration over time via different readouts, including cell growth, morphological changes, and fluorescence. The set-up is compatible with high-throughput screens and thereby allows to combine phenotypic and chemical screening using targeted chemical compound libraries, siRNAs, or project specific stresses/treatments.
The phenotypic screening platform is closely connected to several research networks, including the CRC1177 on autophagy, ENABLE, PROXIDRUGS and the Innovative Medicine Initiative EUbOPEN.
Any requests for collaborations can be addressed to Alexandra Stolz or submitted via the submission portal.
For submission portal registration please contact Alexandra Stolz
Dr. Alexandra Stolz
Alexandra Stolz studied Biochemistry in Regensburg, Germany followed by a PhD in yeast genetics and molecular biology in Stuttgart, Germany. After a postdoc (2012-2013) working on ER associated protein degradation (ERAD) – a proteasome dependent pathway, Alexandra joined the groups of Andreas Ernst and Ivan Dikic at IBC2 in Frankfurt, Germany (2013-2016) to work on autophagy. Besides contributing to the characterization of the first autophagy receptor for ER-phagy FAM134B and elaborating the role of the kinase TBK1 in mitophagy, she utilized phage display and protein engineering to develop fluorescent sensors for the central autophagy components LC3/GABARAPs. In January 2017, she joined Genentech in South San Francisco, USA as a visiting scientist where she studied the impact of oncogene-induced secretion during cancer pathogenesis. Since February 2018, Alexandra is heading the phenotypic screening platform at IBC2 and since January 2021 as well the ER quality control group located at the Buchman Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS) as an indipendent group leader. Alexandra is associated with EUbOPEN, where her group aims to identify chemical inducers and inhibitors of selective autophagy pathways.
David Krause
IT System Administrator
Datacenter Management
Networks & Servers Administration
Web & Databases Development
IT Systems Security
Sara Cano
Sara was studying Biotechnology at the University Francisco de Vitoria, Spain and joined the Stolz lab in September 2020 for her Bachelor thesis on the impact of kinase signaling comparing 2D vs. 3D cultured cells. After finishing her Bachelor, Sara stayed in the lab as a research assistant with a focus on cellular screens.