BackgroundIn this case study Emma Cains describes a series of experiments that ultimately resulted in a 10-fold increase in expression with a ‘difficult to express protein’. The initial work involved comparing expression in HEK293-6E and CHO-3E7 cells, followed by the use of a high cell [...]

In this case study, Ariadna Juarez-Martinez describes how optimising the crystal system for a target protein was ultimately the key to delivering a successful fragment screen for one of our clients. 152 high-confidence fragments were identified that bound across 24 binding hotspots on the [...]

In this case study, Rachel Johnson describes how we determined the active state structure of the 5-HT2A receptor with the natural ligand serotonin bound using cryo-EM. Introduction GPCRs are a large and diverse group of receptors in the body. They are also important therapeutic targets [...]

In this Case Study Helen Gingell and Thirumalai Ulaganathan give an introduction to Fragment based drug discovery (FBDD) with a focus on using X-ray crystallography to perform FBDD. This is exemplified with a description of a project in which Sygnature Discovery ran a fragment [...]

Proximity Based Therapeutics Proximity based therapeutics have emerged as powerful tools in drug discovery and come in a wide range of different formats, including molecular glues and PROTACs (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras). In all cases a molecule is used to bring together two cellular proteins: [...]

One of our Senior Protein Scientists, Sam Bloor, describes the journey to develop a refolding route for an interleukin. Introduction Cytokines are important cell signalling proteins which bind to cell surface receptors, initiating downstream cascades 1. They have a range of functions such as [...]

In this case study, Emma Cains and Anna Bennett conducted a series of optimisation experiments that led to a ten-fold yield increase of a Biotherapeutic protein. Background Peak Proteins offers CHO, (CHO-3E7) HEK293-6E and HEK Expi293 expression systems for transient mammalian protein production. The [...]

In this case study Sarah Beck outlines our recent success using the BacMam system in HEK293-6E cells to generate high level expression of a GFP-tagged membrane protein required by a client on a large-scale. Introduction At Peak Proteins, as well as producing many classes [...]

In this case study, Toby Allen, one of our protein scientists leads us through the various steps we took to resolve a particularly tricky protein production challenge. We worked on both a full length and truncated version of a DNA binding protein and employed [...]

The Name's Bond... Covalent Bond. Covalent compounds have historically accounted for a significant number of successful drugs, but interest waned due to concerns about poor selectivity that is often identified in early assay screening. One of the key hurdles in a covalent drug campaign [...]