Antiviral and Antimicrobial Testing
Combined infection expertise and in vitro assay analytical experience enables assessment of therapeutic activity against the growth and infectivity of a wide range of bacteria and viruses.
In Vitro Assay Development
Scientifically robust in vitro assays, expert assay development, and translational in vitro biology strategies bring clinical insight into the earliest stages of drug discovery, to improve decision-making before compounds advance to costly downstream studies.
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In Vitro Assay Development
From hit identification through hit to lead and beyond, in vitro assay cascade is critical to drive the success of any drug discovery program. Whether you require a fully comprehensive assay cascade, an isolated custom assay, or transfer of an existing assay, our scientists work collaboratively to design and implement solutions tailored to your target, phenotype, modality, disease area and development objectives. Our assay development and screening teams outline the most appropriate biological assays for each stage of the process, developing assays from the outset that can support the full lifetime of your program where appropriate. We combine target class and biology expertise with state-of-the-art instrumentation to provide services tailored to your requirements.
Comprehensive In Vitro Assays Across Drug Discovery
From hit identification through lead optimization, our in vitro assays support a broad range of therapeutic areas and modalities. Our teams leverage primary cells, patient-derived materials, iPSC-derived models, and readouts from simple cell proliferation and viability to advanced multi-parametric screening platforms, to develop biologically relevant assays that address critical discovery questions.
Biochemical Assays
Binding and functional biochemical assays across several technologies to enable hit identification and generate data on target engagement. Our in-house teams can generate bespoke protein at various quantities dependent on need to help facilitate assay delivery.
Cell-Based Assays
Functional assays in appropriate cell backgrounds to meet your needs, across multiple technology endpoints. Our in-house molecular biology and cell-line generation teams can build engineered cell lines specific to your program.
Stem Cell Assays
Translational assays in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived models, including multi-cell cultures, offer improved clinical translation in the earliest stages of drug discovery.
High-Content Imaging and Cell Painting
Visualize and quantify the target-specific and phenotypic effects of therapeutics with automated microscopy, multiplexed fluorescent labeling and detection and multiparameter algorithms in simple and complex disease-relevant cell models.
Ion Channel Screening and Selectivity Profiling
Identify and characterize therapeutic functional effects on ion channels using high-throughput automated patch clamp electrophysiology and fluorescent readouts. Screen our functionally validated assays and cell lines to enable hit identification, selectivity profiling, and safety liability screening.
Genome engineering and CRISPR/Cas9-enabled assays
CRISPR/Cas-9 and other genome engineering technologies can be applied across many stages of drug discovery, from target discovery and validation to generation of cell lines for high-throughput screening and phenotypic assays across different assay readouts.
In Vitro Assays By Therapeutic Area
Browse in vitro assays supported by deep therapeutic area and disease expertise across our portfolio.
Antiviral and Antimicrobial Testing
Oncology in vitro assays
Oncology in vitro assays
Our extensive capabilities in oncology cell assays includes 2D and 3D formats, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) assays and tumor microarrays that accurately model human cancers for improved translation and clinical connectivity.
Immuno-oncology in vitro assays
Immuno-oncology in vitro assays
Optimized immune cell assays, including assessment of immune cell activation, immune-tumor interactions and cancer cell killing, enable the investigation of therapeutic effects for oncology drugs that target the immune system.
Immunology in vitro assays
Immunology in vitro assays
Generate translational insights for immunology, inflammation, autoimmune and immunotoxicology studies using clinic-relevant assays across key immune cell types and advanced co-culture systems.
Neuroscience in vitro assays
Neuroscience in vitro assays
Focus on the right candidate with phenotypic screening and profiling assays for neurodegenerative, neuroimmune and pain disorders, including assays utilizing physiologically relevant multi-cell cultures and human post-mortem tissues.
Why In Vitro Assay Development Matters
The quality of in vitro assays can determine the success of an entire discovery program. Effective in vitro assay development provides the foundation for reliable hit identification, compound characterization, in vitro mechanism-of-action and efficacy studies, driving your program through lead optimization. Well-designed assays generate data that support confident go/no-go decisions and improve the translation of discovery findings into clinical development.
Custom Assay Development Designed Around Your Program
Every discovery program is different. Our scientists evaluate your biological target, chosen modality, target disease pathology, screening objectives and development timeline to design custom assay solutions aligned with your scientific and commercial goals. The result are assays and cascades optimized for reproducibility, scalability and actionable decision-making.
Our assay development experts help establish:
- Appropriate assay formats and detection technologies
- Relevant biological models and reagents
- Control compounds and validation strategies
- Robust quality control parameters
- Hit acceptance criteria
- Automated workflows for scalable execution
- Orthogonal and selectivity assays to build confident data sets
Key Considerations for Successful Assay Development
Developing a high-quality assay requires careful consideration of multiple scientific and operational factors: assays that work well in small batches may not scale; compounds and reagents can be difficult to obtain; and false-positive and false-negative results can shift focus away from the most relevant molecules. Assay development considerations will change with assay purpose and throughput requirements; however, there are some common aspects to consider.
Reagents
- Availability and batch
- Stability over time
- Stability of expression (for cellular targets)
Control compounds or conditions
- Are they available?
- Are they valid?
Assay robustness
- Appropriate pharmacology
- DMSO tolerance
- Z’-factor and signal window
- Signal stability
Assay format
- 384 or 1536 well formats
- Assay volume
- Reagent availability and cost
- False positive liability
Confidence in hits and hit rate
- False positive and false negative rates
- Asay noise
- Predicted activity threshold
- Positional effects on data distribution
- Screening concentration
Automation
- Can the assay be scaled?
- Liquid handling considerations
- Liquid handler quality control interval
Data handling
- Processing volume of data
- Error trapping
- Pass/fail criteria
- Reporting
Hit progression
- Orthogonal assays
- Selectivity assays
Clinically Informed, Translational in vitro Assays
Flexible, Integrated Discovery Expertise
Clinically Informed, Translational In Vitro Assays
Many discovery programs fail because preclinical models do not adequately reflect human disease biology. Our clinic-informed approach integrates patient need, disease biology and translational considerations at the earliest stages of discovery. Using human primary cells, differentiated stem cells, patient-derived materials and sophisticated cell engineering technologies, we develop assays that more closely mimic human biology and generate insights with greater translational relevance. By combining discovery expertise with clinical insight, we help researchers focus resources on candidates with the greatest potential to succeed in the clinic.
Flexible, Integrated Discovery Expertise
Our assay development teams operate within a broader discovery ecosystem that includes medicinal chemistry, high-throughput screening, structural biology, ADME and DMPK, disease pharmacology and human safety NAMs expertise. This integrated model enables seamless collaboration and efficient progression from target identification through candidate selection. By bringing together multidisciplinary scientists and advanced technologies, we provide the strategic support needed to accelerate discovery timelines while maintaining scientific rigor.
Frequently Asked Questions about In Vitro Assay Development
What are in vitro assays?
In vitro assays are experiments performed using cells, tissues or biological components outside a living organism. They are used to evaluate biological activity, mechanism of action, efficacy and safety characteristics of therapeutic compounds before advancing into in vivo studies.
Why is in vitro assay development important?
In vitro assay development creates the foundation for reliable screening and candidate evaluation. Well-designed assays improve data quality, reduce risk, support informed decision-making and increase confidence in advancing compounds through the discovery process.
When should assay development begin?
Assay development should begin early in discovery, ideally during target validation and hit identification. Early investment in assay quality improves downstream screening, characterization and translational success.
Why choose custom assay development?
Custom assay development enables researchers to tailor assay design to specific targets, compounds, mechanisms and disease contexts. This often delivers more relevant biological data and stronger predictive value than standard off-the-shelf assays.
How do you select the right in vitro assay?
Selecting the right assay depends on the biological question, disease model, target class, compound modality and desired endpoint. Many programs benefit from a combination of biochemical, cellular and phenotypic assays rather than a single platform.
What technologies are commonly used in assay development?
Common technologies include human primary cell-based assays, high-content imaging, high-throughput screening, CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering, phenotypic screening, mechanism-of-action studies and target deconvolution approaches.
Can assay development support translational drug discovery?
Yes. Clinically relevant assay systems that use human-derived materials and disease-relevant biology can generate translational insights that improve prediction of in vivo performance and support confidence in clinical development decisions.
What therapeutic areas can be supported?
Assay development can support a wide range of therapeutic areas, including oncology, immunology, immuno-oncology, neuroscience, infectious disease and rare diseases.
