Aim for global impact.

The pharmaceutical industry and academic research converge at Temple University's Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research. Our team of globally-recognized pharma leaders is dedicated to identifying viable research endeavors that will serve, first and foremost, humanity.

Graduate and undergraduate students work alongside experienced drug discovery scientists, learn modern techniques required for the successful identification of the next generation of therapies, and play key roles in research collaborations. As members of the team, students gain expertise in using research tools, including high throughput screening, molecular biology, parallel synthesis, and pharmacokinetics. 

Moulder Center Mission & Vision

The mission of Temple's Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research is to identify and carry out pharmaceutical research projects, all the while cultivating the next generation of pharmaceutical scientists. The vision is to improve the trajectory of healthcare by discovering and exploring the possibilities for prospective treatments for all types of conditions and creating a pipeline of experts and opportunities.

Moulder Center Objectives

We aim to:

• carry out drug design and lead optimization using:
  • small molecule therapeutics in multiple disease areas
  • chemical probes to test biological hypotheses
  • tools to help understand relevant physiological processes
• facilitate collaborative research with:
  • Temple University collaborators
  • external collaborators in the U.S. and abroad
• explore translational medicine, bridge the gap between pre-clinical and clinical research
• train students, faculty, and future researchers in modern drug discovery and development

Moulder Center Capabilities

Our capabilities include:

Medicinal Chemistry

We synthesize, purify, and study organic molecules. Our chemistry laboratories are designed to handle milligram-killigram scale small molecule synthesis. We have parallel synthesis platforms for the preparation of either diversity driven or focused libraries of tens-thousands of compounds on 10–100 mg scale. We handle large scale synthesis to meet the needs of PK studies, in vivo animal studies, and CGMP production. 

Biotherapeutics 

The biotherapeutics laboratory has state-of-the-art discovery capabilities for work on protein-based drugs. Drawing on over 30 years of academic and industrial experience in prokaryotic, eukaryotic and viral molecular genetics, heterologous protein expression, and therapeutic antibody discovery and engineering, we utilize phage display technology as our primary protein discovery platform. We are the only academic group in the world with access to the “Ylanthia” Fab display phage library, a powerful industrial-quality human antibody discovery platform. 

Proteomics

We handle expression profiles, protein identification, posttranslational modification, characterization, isolation of individual cells from tissues, protein and peptide separations, capillary electrophoresis, and multidimensional protein identification (MudPIT). Our facility is capable of generating high fidelity data for biomarker discovery, drug targets and studies on the pathogenesis of disease. Our proteomics laboratory and faculty provide accessible proteomics capability for biological and biomedical research.

Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis

We conduct peptide synthesis and purification, as well as identification and characterization of proteins from recombinant or biofluidic sources, using state-of-the-art Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS ) equipment, including the CEM Liberty 1 Microwave Peptide Synthesizer. 

In Vitro Assay Development and Screening 

Our high throughput screening capabilities are built around two Janus Automated Workstations (Varipsan and MDT) capable of supporting 96-well or 384-well platforms. The system supports multiple in vitro and cellular assay paradigms for the study of enzymes, receptors, ion channels and transporter proteins. 

To support high throughput screening, we have a 40,000 member small molecule diversity-based screening library that includes linear and cyclic peptides and the Prestwick 1,200 member library of FDA approved drugs. We have a license for the Dotmatics Informatics Platform (Dotmatics, Ltd) to support the chemical database, high throughput screening data management, structure activity relationship (SAR) analysis, and data visualization. 

The following supports this work:

• In vivo assay development and screening
  • micro dissection
  • behavioral assessment
    • conditioned place preference
    • analgesia and tolerance
       
• Ex vivo Assay Development and Screening
  • radio ligand
  • homogenate binding
  • autoradiography
  • rubidium efflux
    • neurotransmitter release
  • receptor profiling
  • drug affinities
    • functional responses
  • subunit composition
  • quantification and distribution
  • protein and neuron characterization
  • western blotting
  • immunohistochemistry
  • HPLC
  • synaptosomal preparations

• Other specialized capabilities
  • pharmacogenomic analysis of SNPs
  • copy number variations
  • cell-based assays
  • cytotoxicity
  • apoptosis
  • caspase activation
  • cell viability
  • in-vitro metabolism
  • pre-clinical PK

In Vitro Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (ADME) and Pharmacokinetics (PK)

We are equipped to provide a wide range of in vitro ADME/PK studies, drug metabolism studies and in vivo PK studies in support of drug discovery programs.

The following supports this work:

• In vitro assays
  • microsomal stability – human and preclinical species
  • hepatocyte stability to determine direct conjugation or metabolism by aldehyde oxidase
  • unbound fraction assays for equilibrium dialysis and LC/MSMS analysis and interpretation
  • CYP inhibition assays for CYP3A4, CYP2D6 and CYP2C9
  • permeability assays for CACO-2 and MDCK for correlation with absorption and BBB
  • metabolite ID for issue preparations, expressed enzymes and LC/MSMS identification

• In vivo assays
  • preclinical pharmacokinetics for mouse and rat studies (IV and oral) to determine
  • volume of distribution
  • clearance
  • half-life
  • bioavailability
  • CNS penetration for mouse and rat with SC, IP, or IV administration

Meet the Moulder Center Team

Message from the Director

As Director of The Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Temple University School of Pharmacy, I welcome you to discover the people, research projects, and collaborations that contribute to our success by exploring individual faculty pages below.

The Moulder Center is home to a talented and enthusiastic group of scientists dedicated to fostering collaborative research efforts to support the discovery and development of novel therapeutic agents. The mission of the center is to advance high impact, translational research by providing integrated expertise in various areas of pharmaceutical research including target identification and engagement, medicinal chemistry, biologics, ADME-PK, preformulation, and formulation. 

We provide a unique opportunity for students and junior-senior level scientists to work alongside experienced drug discovery scientists, learn modern techniques, and play a role in cutting-edge research collaborations. They gain a unique perspective on the drug discovery process and the importance of multidisciplinary, collaborative research required for success in the modern scientific community.

In 2019, the Moulder Center celebrated 10 years of operation, and, on January 1, 2022, I assumed the role of Director. Please consider how you can join us in our efforts as we embark on a second decade under new leadership and continue to build on the successes of the past. We are always seeking prospective students, faculty, staff, and donors.