In the first phase, the hit identification phase (identification of the initial active compounds), which will last one year (from March 2014 to February 2015), chemical compounds with maximum structural diversity will be screened. A collection of more than 11,000 compounds available at the IIT (Italian Institute of Technology) will be used, carefully selected based on various criteria (in particular, structural novelty and the absence of potentially toxic chemical groups). The screening will use a method already in use for years in the Gaslini laboratory and based on the use of engineered cells. These cells have been genetically modified in the laboratory to simultaneously express both the mutated CFTR protein and a fluorescent sensor called YFP (yellow fluorescent protein), a protein that emits a yellow light when illuminated.

Project continues in Phase 2.