Pre-defined and Custom Assay Development
Our assay development and screening biologists combine target class and cell biology expertise with state-of-the-art instrumentation to provide services tailored to your requirements. We provide a collaborative environment and work closely with our teams in medicinal chemistry, ADME, structural biology and fragment-based drug discovery to deliver within challenging timelines.
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Factors to Consider for Assay Development
A well-designed assay takes many factors into consideration. For example, assays that work well in small batches may not be scalable; compounds and reagents can be difficult to obtain; and perhaps worst of all, false positives and negatives can shift the focus away from relevant hits. Are you prepared to address these issues? Take a look:
| Consideration | Common factors |
|---|---|
| Reagents | Availability/batch Stability with time Stability of expression (for cellular targets) |
| Control compounds/conditions | Are they available? Are they valid? |
| Assay robustness | Appropriate pharmacology DMSO tolerance Z’ ‐factor & signal window (under valid control conditions) Signal stability |
| Assay format | 384 or 1536-well Assay volume Reagent availability and cost False positive liability |
| Confidence in hits and hit rate | False positive and false negative rates Assay noise Predicted activity threshold and hit rate Positional effects on data distribution Screening concentration |
| Automation | Can the assay be scaled? Liquid handling considerations Liquid handler quality control (QC) interval |
| Data handling | Processing volume of data Error trapping Pass/fail criteria Reporting |
| Hit progression | Orthogonal assays Selectivity assays |
Our scientists are skilled at evaluating clients’ pre-defined assays, are able to make recommendations, and can create custom solutions that overcome some of the challenges of assay design.
Flexible Schedule and Price Structure
Charles River’s assay development and screening services are designed to meet your budget and timeline. Prior to the launch of any campaign, we meet with you to fully understand your project’s starting point, scope, and objectives and recommend the best course of action. Our standard fee-for-service contract maximizes budget and minimizes time for projects with a well-defined scope.
Alternatively, our full-time equivalent (FTE) option is available if you need additional services such as target validation, exploration of feasibility, or execution of multiple assays. In this model, we designate an experienced alliance manager to serve as your single point of contact for scientific direction, resource prioritization, and project scheduling.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Assay Development and Screening
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Do you perform custom assay development?
Yes, about 40% of screens that we perform are developed first at Charles River. We have highly experienced assay development teams with a broad and diverse screening technology base.
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What is your range of compound target classes?
We’ve worked with a broad range of target classes, even those that are less common or more challenging. These include kinases, non-kinase enzymes, epigenetics targets, antibodies, protein-protein interactions, ion channels and phenotypic assays.
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I’m interested in transferring my assay. Can I leverage your assay screening services?
Yes. Many of our clients choose to transfer their assays. Our team carefully evaluates and validates pre-defined assays against all design criteria to make sure the study is feasible for the desired target, consistently reliable, and scalable to automation to ensure optimum results.
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What types of compound libraries do you offer?
Charles River offers lead-like compound libraries, SoftFocus® legacy compound library, diversity compound library, fragment screening library, SoftFocus subscription compound libraries, and access to the SuperHuman 2.0 antibody screening library.