Design and development of relevant, well-controlled assays to address the key scientific questions and screening needs. Using a methodical and analytical approach we carefully control all variables and minimise assay artefacts (e.g. due to ligand or reagent/biosensor depletion, compound interference, time dependency).
Our liquid handling capabilities make complex matrix experiments simple to construct and interpret.
A full range of different techniques using recombinant proteins and isolates, including:
Quantification of the cellular potency and efficacy of compounds at all levels of a signalling cascade, from target protein activation through to gene transcription. These assays can also be used to answer more complex questions, such as onset and duration of action, mechanism of action and insurmountability in dynamic signalling events (eg Schild plots).
Assay systems include:
Experts in the development and application of kinetic assays to measure the association and dissociation rates of unlabelled ligands. We have extensive experience of utilising competition association assays in time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) formats.
Assays are medium throughput (384 well), capable of performing fragment screening. We have experience on kinetics for a range of target classes, including GPCRs, enzymes and protein-protein interactions.
Development of primary cell assays to assess phenotypic responses of compounds in disease-relevant human cell populations. These assays are an invaluable tool to assist in translation of simple, acute signalling assays to more complex and chronic therapeutic responses.
Phenotypic readouts include, but are not restricted to:
