Mammalian cell lines

Cell-based assays are pivotal in evaluating the activity of drug compounds on pharmaceutical targets within the context of living cells. Selecting the appropriate mammalian cell type and optimizing it for high-throughput screening (HTS) and drug discovery is crucial to accurately capture the disease-relevant biology of the target tissue and identify relevant therapeutic targets.

At Assay.Works, we leverage advanced cell engineering techniques to design and construct recombinant cell lines tailored to specific therapeutic areas, modalities, and the unique needs of our clients. Additionally, we harness human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) technologies and cell differentiation methodologies to create stem cell-based disease models in collaboration with our partners.

Alternatively, clients have the option to access our extensive collection of 120 engineered cell lines, covering a diverse array of transmembrane therapeutic targets. This collection offers a convenient and efficient solution for researchers seeking to explore various drug targets and accelerate their drug discovery efforts.

By combining cutting-edge cell engineering with a collaborative and client-focused approach, Assay.Works is committed to providing customized solutions that address the complex challenges of modern drug discovery and development.

Advanced Cell Engineering

Advanced cell engineering at Assay.Works represents a comprehensive approach aimed at designing and constructing recombinant cell lines tailored to specific therapeutic areas, modalities, and customer requirements. This approach involves two primary components:

  • de novo Expression Construct Design: Utilizing cutting-edge molecular biology techniques, we design custom expression constructs to precisely target the desired therapeutic proteins within the cell.
  • High-Throughput Functional Clone Selection: We employ high-throughput methodologies to select the most functional clones, optimizing cell lines for HTS and a wide range of functional assay readouts and protein detection technologies.

This seamless process integrates state-of-the-art molecular biology applications with cell engineering, maintenance, and production. By leveraging these advanced techniques, Assay.Works delivers tailored solutions to meet the diverse needs of our clients.

Cell Line Collection

Our collection of more than 120 engineered cell lines covers a broad range of transmembrane therapeutic targets, like GPCRs, Ion Channels, or Transport Proteins. The majority of these cell lines have been validated to respond to reference substances in a target-dependent manner using a defined functional readout. This makes them an valuable tool for HTS, compound characterization, or selectivity profiling in Drug Discovery.

  • 85 engineered GPCR cell lines
  • 28 engineered ion channel/ transporter cell lines
  • 10 Nuclear hormone receptor cell lines

Applications

  • Custom assay development at Assay.Works
  • assay.ready frozen cells for in-house applications
  • Cell fractionation products, e.g. membrane vesicles for label-free assay technologies

Download complete PDF

Tissue Culture Facility

Advanced cell engineering at Assay.Works is complemented by a sophisticated tissue culture facility, which supports complex cell maintenance protocols and bulk cell production while maintaining constant quality standards.

Our state-of-the-art tissue culture facility is equipped with advanced instrumentation and adheres to stringent quality control measures, ensuring optimal conditions for cell growth and maintenance to meet the demands of high-throughput screening (HTS) and large-scale experimental studies.

Whether it's designing custom expression constructs or producing bulk quantities of high-quality cells, our facility is equipped to efficiently support every stage of the drug discovery pipeline.

At Assay.Works,  we apply the highest standards to cell production and inventory management. To guarantee the success of cell-based assay, we apply stringent quality monitoring, advanced storage technologies, and ID-based tracking of cellular lineage, harvests, and aliquots in our LIMS.

  • Storage capabilities

    We utilize state-of-the-art vapor phase nitrogen tanks for cell storage, providing a secure and controlled environment to preserve cell lines at ultra-low temperatures. This advanced storage method ensures long-term viability and stability of cell cultures, safeguarding the integrity of our research materials for future experiments and applications.

  • Quality Control

    Maintaining the purity and authenticity of cell lines is paramount in ensuring the reliability of experimental results. To this end, we implement rigorous quality control protocols, including regular mycoplasma testing to detect and prevent contamination. Additionally, we utilize Short Tandem Repeats (STR) analysis to authenticate cell lines, confirming their identity and genetic stability.

  • Cell Banking

    Cell inventory processes are streamlined and optimized using Mosaic as a LIMS. Mosaic supports efficient storage and lifecycle-management of cell batches, facilitating easy access and retrieval. Likewise, we ensure full documentation of cell line, lot, and batch information, enhancing traceability and reproducibility across experiments.

Assay.Ready Frozen Cells

Assay.Ready frozen cells provide superior assay consistency and reproducibility for cell-based High-Throughput Screening (HTS) and extended functional studies. Large cell batches are cryopreserved at optimal conditions, ensuring high viability and functionality upon thawing. Assay.Ready frozen cells eliminate batch-to-batch variations and the tedious process of continually culturing cells and hence, offer flexibility and efficiency in cellular research workflows.