Target Identification & Validation

Molecular targets are biological entities that are inherently related to specific disease processes in the body. We define them as targets if these small molecules are known to interact with, or be modulated by a chemical compound. This abundance can complicate target discovery as not all molecules can serve as a good drug target. Moreover, the potential poly-pharmacology of drugs can lead to unexpected side effects due to their specificity for more than one target. Therefore, robust target identification and subsequent validation are particularly important.

Target identification and validation is the first essential step in the drug discovery pipeline. This process allows characterizing the role of a protein or pathway of interest and provides selection parameters to define the required properties of the compounds being screened.

We have extensive experience in target identification and validation across a wide range of therapeutic indications. Creative Bioarray's scientists have access to the most advanced technologies, including bioinformatics, RNA interference, single-cell next generation sequencing, and chemical probes in selected model systems. Our CRISPR expertise enables functional studies from the investigation of individual genes to genome-wide phenotypic screening for target identification or deconvolution.

Key Target Identification and Validation Experiments

• Identify the on/off target structures of drugs or candidates at amino acid level
• Functional validation of novel drug targets by using repairable haploid genome library
• Provide information on the binding structure of drug targets to promote rational drug design

Capabilities

• DNA, peptide and protein microarrays
• Genetic profiling (e. g. RT-PCR, NGS)
• Protein profiling (e. g. ELISA, LC/MS, HPLC/LC/MS)
• Flow cytometer
• Target-ligand binding analysis, such as surface plasmon resonance, NMR or using biophysical analysis
• Electrophysiology (manual and automated patch clamp, ion channel drug discovery, oocyte recording, Ca²⁺ imaging, CiPA assay, MEA-based assay)

Highlights

• The pharmaceutical culture, quality and expertise of a team of experienced and dedicated scientists and data scientists to perform your target identification and validation project
• Potential advice and guidance for the next step of your research on chemical or biological compounds that act on your selected targets
• Support and advice in developing an experimental plan to qualify and validate your targets, which will be discussed and established together so you can make an informed decision

Related Services:

• Hit to Lead
• Hit Identification
• Lead Optimization