# TREAT AD Assay Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $3,382,783

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY ASSAY CORE
The Emory-Sage-SGC-Jax TREAT-AD Assay Development and Screen Core (Assay Core) serves as a
technology platform to provide innovative and informative assays for target assessment, for high throughput
screening of challenging targets and evaluation of biological perturbagens, and for functional characterization
of biological and chemical probes in in vitro and in vivo models. The Assay Core has established an innovative
operational structure that harnesses a wide range of expertise and capabilities for AD target evaluation and
chemical and biological probe discovery from both public and private sectors. The Core will be organized with
an operational hub at Emory University and spokes of expanded capabilities with world-leading Associated
Partners, who will contribute specialized assays, screens, and biological expertise. Associated Partners
include the University of Pittsburgh with AD animal models for in vivo target engagement and efficacy studies,
the University of California San Francisco for expertise in CRISPR-based functional genomics in human iPSC-
derived neural cells, the Jackson Laboratory for bioinformatics and data analysis, the University of Washington
for in-depth target biology, and the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) for rich experience in diverse
assays and screens. With our demonstrated capabilities and combined complementary expertise and
integrated operation with Bioinformatics, Structural Biology, Med Chem, and Admin and Data Cores, we
will support the overarching goal of TREAT-AD by developing hypothesis-driven and informative assays,
creating experimental reagents, and validating probes to populate Target Enabling Packages (TEPs) for each
prioritized target to catalyze robust evaluation of a diverse set of therapeutic hypotheses. The Assay Core aims
(i) to provide experimental assay evidence in AD-relevant cell systems to advance nominated targets through a
tiered pipeline to enable target identification and prioritization, (ii) to evaluate validated tools/probes that enable
modulation of targets, (iii) to support studies of the disease-modifying role of identified biological or chemical
probes in AD pathogenesis for target prosecution and biological insights. Over the 5-year project, completion of
these aims will generate experimental evidence for up to 100 nominated targets (~10-20 per year) for
development of assay packages and will test a minimum of 5 target-specific probes per year. For each target,
all reagents and tools will be released as TEPs to the scientific community.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10954115
- **Project number:** 2U54AG065187-06
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** ALLAN I LEVEY
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $3,382,783
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10954115

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10954115, TREAT AD Assay Core (2U54AG065187-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10954115. Licensed CC0.

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