A new cell based profiling service for drug discovery from Reaction Biology Corporation (RBC) and Promega Corporation will allow more researchers to better prioritize compounds earlier.
Based on Promega NanoBRET technology, the service measures direct target engagement of more than 50 kinases in live cells without disruption of cellular membrane integrity, and will be expanded to cover more than 200 kinases in the future.
“Our customers have been looking for a cell based service to confirm the biochemical assay data we provide,” said Haiching Ma, RBC’s Chief Science Officer. “Finally, with the NanoBRET service, they can look at highly relevant cell-based results. The Promega assay is unique in cell-based discovery.”
NanoBRET target engagement assays are still available as kits but RBC is the first provider to create an entire panel as a service, allowing more researchers to access the technology.
“Biochemical kinase assays are a piece of the puzzle, but don’t tell the whole story,” said Promega Senior Research Scientist Matt Robers. “By incorporating cellular assays at an earlier stage, researchers can get a better understanding of the impacts of live-cell physiology on the potency and selectivity of their compound. This could save development time and advance chemical matter that has a better chance of having cellular efficacy. Researchers have been seeking these more kinase-specific cell-based assays at service providers, and RBC’s assay optimization expertise and excellent reputation as a service provider make them the logical choice.”