evotec_Nov23_PanOmicsDriven - 35

5 Minutes with Dr John Szilagyi of
Bristol Myers Squibb on PanHunter
John is a research scientist in
the non-clinical investigative
toxicology department at
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS).
His area of focus is placental
toxicology. He has a broad
expertise in drug transport,
enzyme and cell-based assays.
John obtained his PhD in
toxicology from Rutgers
University in New Brunswick.
He joined BMS in June 2020
after a postdoctoral research
stay in the toxicology and
environmental medicine
department of the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In what project do you use
PanHunter?
John: My active collaboration
with Evotec involves highcontent
screening and
bioinformatics investigations
of differentiating pluripotent
stem cells treated with
protein-degrading teratogens,
such as thalidomide. The
overall goal of this work
is to better understand
the mechanisms behind
stem cell differentiation in
embryonic limb development
and identify the sensitive
pathways that can disrupt
that process. In doing so, we
hope to better inform drug
discovery and development
to improve the development
strategy for safer and more
effective medicines.
How does PanHunter leverage
research outcomes at BMS?
John: PanHunter is a great
platform to ergonomically see
large bioinformatics datasets
at multiple levels, allowing a
researcher to easily build the
context behind the observed
biological changes. Notably
in our current investigations,
PanHunter allows the direct
identification of high priority
pathways during stem cell
differentiation that can lead to
teratogenicity. These data can
then be integrated into drug
discovery to prioritise safer
treatments for patients.
What is the impact of
PanHunter in your daily
business?
John: I spend 80% of my
working time in the lab
developing assays to assess
underlying mechanisms
of unexpected findings or
35
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