Structural Biology
Structural Biology Services
Pharmaron’s structural biology service has many years of experience resolving complex crystal structures. We advance structure-based drug design by generating and analyzing compound-protein, protein-protein, and ternary interaction structures.
Industry-Leading Timelines
Our in-house protein production and optimization capabilities, paired with a high-throughput crystallography setup, significantly enhance the efficiency of our protein crystallization processes. The high level of automation allows for the rapid screening of thousands of crystallization conditions, accelerating the process and ensuring more reproducible results.
Broad Experience
Our team has completed structure-based drug discovery (SBDD) projects for over 50 therapeutic targets, including kinases, enzymes, protein degraders, antibody-antigen complexes, etc. We are experts in resolving ternary complexes formed by targeted protein degraders and are skilled in supporting fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) programs.
Client-Friendly Milestone Model
We understand the challenges of not knowing the crystallization project’s outcome. We mitigate this risk through invoicing after the successful completion of a milestone.
X-Ray Facility and Synchrotron Access
Our access to a local X-ray facility, the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), the UK Diamond Light Source (DLS), and others ensures high-precision structural data and faster turnaround times, which is crucial for X-ray crystallography.
Integrated Approach to Structure-Based Drug Discovery
In addition to fee-for-services, our teams can support fragment- and structure-based drug discovery projects through an integrated approach. Within an integrated project, our structural biologists collaborate closely with medicinal chemistry, biology, DMPK, and computational chemistry experts to drive the discovery of new compounds through leadership and project management. The goal is the discovery of compounds with refined binding affinity and specificity and a favorable pharmacological profile in a collaborative effort.
Pharmaron’s structural biology service aims to continually push the boundaries of protein crystallography and structure-based drug design, providing high-quality X-ray crystallography services to accelerate our clients’ drug discovery efforts.
Gene to Protein
- Construct design specifically for crystallography, including codon optimization, mutagenesis, and protein engineering
- Protein expression in mammalian, insect, E.coli, and yeast cells
- Protein purification via processes of two or more steps, including various chromatography methods
- Quality control to assess purity, molecular weight, and homogeneity and ensure proper folding and stability
- Evaluation of protein stability, solubility, and homogeneity at crystallization conditions
- Option for scale-up and manufacturing
More details about our protein production capabilities can be found on our protein sciences webpage.
Protein Crystallography
- Verification of binding affinity via biophysical assays such as SPR, BLI, and ITC
- Crystal formation options for protein-ligand complexes include soaking and co-crystallization
- Utilization of Mosquito nanoliter drop dispenser for high-throughput and precise nanoliter volume handling
- Formulatrix RockImager system for automated monitoring of the crystallization process
- Crystal testing at the local light source
- Data collection at multiple domestic or international synchrotron light sources
- Model building, refinement, validation, and data analysis
- Strict criteria for each delivered crystal structure
Why Work with Pharmaron for Your Structural Biology Projects?
- Weekly access to X-ray radiation facility for efficient crystal analysis
- Biweekly access to synchrotron radiation facility for enhanced resolution
- Rapid testing of many crystallization conditions via high-throughput instrumentation
- High grade of automation for reduced manual intervention and increased reproducibility
- Close collaboration with computational and medicinal chemists to optimally drive Structure-Activity-Relationship (SAR) projects
Ready to get started on your crystal structure project?
