GEP Compendium

The expression profiles are stored in a database, the GEP Compendium. Now, it is possible to classify compounds from the research pipeline with unknown... 

MoA into one of the known MoAs of the GEP Compendium with a single experiment. Arahidopsis plants are sprayed with the respective compound and the isolated and labeled RNA is analyzed on the Arahidopsis chip. Subsequently, the resulting expression profile is compared with those in the compendium. This comparison is done by supervised learning algorithms like Support Vector Machine (SVM) [15] or Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) [16]. When the new expression profile groups together with profiles of a specific MoA in the compendium there is an utmost probability that the corresponding compound has the same MoA (Fig. 33.4). If necessary, the MoA can be verified by classical methods such as enzyme assays or supplementation tests, if available. 

Meanwhile we have also classified many different compounds, coming from the research pipeline, that had an unknown MoA. It was possible to eliminate compounds with an unwanted MoA very early from the research process and to concentrate on more promising substances. If compounds cannot be classified into an already existing MoA, the standard GEP Compendium approach can at least put them into specific unknown MoA groups. 

---