Our biologists thrive in an exciting drug discovery environment where they apply advanced tools and technologies to gain insight into the pathology of diseases. These include:

Genomics
We use Affymetrix GeneChip® probe arrays to understand gene function in the context of human disease and to identify new targets. We also use bioinformatics for efficient use of new scientific data and intelligent decision-making.

Proteomics
Proteomic research at Roche Palo Alto involves high-resolution separation techniques along with mass spectrometry and informatics for studying the expression of the genome at the functional protein level.

Transgenics
Using molecular biology, our scientists create genetically engineered mutant mice to study the role of genes and pathways in the physiology of disease. Microinjection of an additional gene into the nucleus of a fertilized ovum results in the development of a transgenic mouse with new characteristics. Elimination of an existing gene results in the development of a knockout mouse.

High and Ultra-High Throughput Screening
The continued growth of compound libraries and the increasing number of targets that are available to be screened have resulted in pressure to increase the throughput and decrease both the cost and material consumption of screening. Part of our solution for this at Roche, has been the co-development an ultra high throughput system with the Zeiss company of Germany. This system is capable of screening in excess of 100,000 compounds per day, and can handle a variety of assay formats and different readouts.

Other tools that promote efficiency in high and ultra-high throughput screening include integrated robotic systems, automated pipetting stations and FLIPR, the Fluorometric Imaging Plate Reader