Screen for Nonoligonucleotide Ligands of Specific RNAS

The creation of a high throughput screen for small molecule ligands of specific RNAs will be develomethod will have tremendous potential for identifying novel classes of drugs. Most viruses, for examcomplex RNAs that are essential for replication and that are appropriate targets for a high throughpfirst phase of the project, a series of small molecules with established affinity for a given nucleisystems to prove the principle of the assay. Based on the success of these model systems, a high thrHepatitis B virus will be established. In the second phase of the project, a library of small molecuaffinity to Hepatitis B RNAs. Small molecule ligands identified in the high throughput affinity screbiological activity in the slower, more cumbersome secondary bioassays. In addition to its use againaffinity screen can be used to identify novel therapeutics for the treatment of other viral infectiocell-based diseases by providing a means to identify small molecules that regulate the translation ocellular mRNAs.