ACCELERATING EARLY DRUG DISCOVERY

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A structural services company built to atomic resolution

Helix BioStructures offers a wide range of integrated drug discovery services, including methods in biophysical characterization, structural biology, and medicinal chemistry. Our services have been fine-tuned to provide unmatched quality, efficiency, and affordability.

OUR SERVICES

Custom protein synthesis

At the beginning of every drug discovery project, key proteins are identified as targets for drug therapy. Let us help you produce your next protein target.

3D molecular modeling and design

This system will assist your research program in taking a druggable target vector to produce a fully designed active drug molecule.

X-ray crystallography

3D structures of proteins or other biological targets confirm the mechanism and engagement of the target, enabling the advancement and/or acceleration of R&D.

Cryogenic electron microscopy

Cryo-EM is powerful tool to structurally characterize soluble protein without the requirement to grow individual crystals such as with x-ray crystallography.

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  • Structural Antibodies

    Helix co-crystallized, obtained high resolution X-ray diffraction, and computationally solved the 3-D structure of five antigen-binding fragments in complex with antagonists. Helix’s work and expertise resulted in a 2019 publication in mAbs (journal) as well as the customer receiving “Two Fast Track Designations from the FDA” and $105M Series C Financing.

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  • Challenging Crystals

    Helix obtained a high-resolution X-ray data set from small, non-single crystal samples. Helix X-ray data collection expertise and novel in-house data processing software produced two high resolution (1.7 and 2.3Å) co-crystal structures, resulting in a 2019 publication in Structural Dynamics.

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  • Challenging 3D Structures

    A protein target only provided partial 3-D structure resolution. Relying on in-house cryo-EM single particle processing expertise, Helix was able to elucidate 80% of the protein structure, providing novel high-resolution structural information on previously unresolved areas of the protein. The client was able to analyze important interactions in the processed protein structure that led to expanded cryo-EM data collection and processing.

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  • Poor Resolution Crystals

    A client’s protein complex yielded low-resolution crystals (~4.5Å). In order to analyze ligand density a higher resolution was required. Helix vitrified the samples optimized the grid conditions and obtained a 3000 micrograph data set. Helix’s in-house cryo-EM expertise yielded a complete and refined 2.8Å protein complex revealing atomic resolution density for the ligand of interest.

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  • Virus Characterization

    Helix has experience with the characterization of Adeno-Associated Viruses (AAVs) and Lipid-Nanoparticles (LNPs). Working with one of our clients, Helix determined the empty/full ratios of 25 AAV samples using Cryo-EM. In addition, Helix developed non-standard processing methods increasing the accuracy of these results. From the standpoint of LNP characterization, Helix combined both SEC-SAXS and Cryo-EM to analyze LNP samples, further advancing gene delivery vectors for our client. Helix can provide detailed information concerning projects involving either AAVs or LNPs across a wide range of metrics and/or hurdles that may arise.

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