Ligand profiling & drug discovery
We offer biophysical instrument access, training and collaborative services for discovery and biophysical characterization of ligands and small molecule drug lead candidates for proteins using SMALP technology and native nanodiscs.
Sets of polymer-based nanodiscs can be screened to test various biological lipid combinations that represent bar codes for subcellular organelles, and offer uniquely native-like membrane environments.
We offer collaborative rates, fee-for-service access, technical support, user orientation and training for our systems including:
Visual Interference Color Assay (VICA) using a detector from Pavonis Diagnostics and Todd McMullen for visualizing and quantifying protein interactions in purified samples or complex mixtures at low cost and without labels- GatorBio Biolayer Interferometry 8-channel & 96/384 well microplate system for ligand screening, profiling, affinities and kinetics of protein interactions with lipids and nanodiscs
- Fluidic Analytics Fluidity One-M for affinity, size, stoichiometry information of nanodiscs and protein complexes
- Malvern Panalytical MicroCal PEAQ ITC for label-free binding kinetics and stoichiometries of lipid and drug molecules with protein targets
- Malvern Panalytical Zetasizer Ultra for measurement of nanodisc sizes, charges, concentrations and multiangle dynamic light scattering
- SEC-MALS for size exclusion chromatography-multi-angle light scattering
- Lyophilizer for sample drying, storage and preservation
- NMR spectrometers: Varian 600 and 500 MHz systems to resolve 1H, 13C, 15N, 31P signals in protein, polymer, or biofluid samples
Our systems represent the latest technologies for biomolecular analysis used to screen and cross validate lipid and drug molecule ligands, and quantify binding energetics, affinities, specificity profiles for membrane-associating proteins.
This internationally unique facility offers access to instruments for academic and commercial users, free trials for external users and subsidized rates for new and underfunded investigators looking to collect data for grant applications. Ask Rakesh at molscreen.com for our rates and access procedures.
Molscreen was established by Michael Overduin and coapplicants with Canada Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund grant 38496 entitled Biophysical equipment to measure complex molecular interactions in solution, which was co-funded by the Province of Alberta, as well as NSERC Discovery and RTI Grants. This support should be acknowledged in user's posters, presentations and publications.
A recommended statement is "This work was supported by the Molscreen facility, which is funded by a Canada Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund Grant (38496) and NSERC Discovery and RTI Grants (2024-06426 and 2018-00620)."
Our team welcomes opportunities for collaboration and partnering, and has experience in setting up, running and supporting drug discovery projects focused on a range of novel and established membrane-interacting targets inclusing kinases, phosphatases, and membrane proteins.
Molscreen's Gator+ BLI system
