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tracerDB: a crowdsourced fluorescent tracer database for target engagement analysis.
Johannes Dopfer1,2, James D Vasta3, Susanne Müller1,2
1Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Nature Communications
|July 5, 2024
Summary
Researchers can now access tracerDB, a curated database of validated fluorescent tracers for key assays like NanoBRET, TR-FRET, and FP. This open-access resource simplifies reagent selection and assay development in chemical biology and drug discovery.
Area of Science:
- Chemical biology
- Drug discovery
- Biophysics
Background:
- Investigating ligand-protein complexes is crucial for chemical biology and drug discovery.
- Key reagents like fluorescent tracers are vital for developing assays such as bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET), NanoBRET, time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET), and fluorescence polarization (FP).
- Accessibility of detailed information and validation data for these tracers is limited for researchers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create tracerDB, a centralized, curated database of validated fluorescent tracers.
- To provide an open-access knowledge base for researchers.
- To establish a unified system for tracer and assay validation.
Main Methods:
- Curated a database of validated fluorescent tracers.
- Developed a web-based platform for open access.
- Implemented a system for tracer and assay validation.
Main Results:
- Successfully created tracerDB, a comprehensive database of validated tracers.
- The database is freely available at https://www.tracerdb.org/.
- Provides a unified system for accessing information and validating tracers and assays.
Conclusions:
- tracerDB enhances accessibility of essential reagents for BRET, TR-FRET, and FP assays.
- This resource supports and streamlines research in chemical biology and drug discovery.
- Facilitates informed reagent selection and robust assay development.
