The BioAscent biosciences team worked as independent contributors, suggesting and successfully developing assays for a novel GPCR target, and deploying these to support rapid design-make-test cycles. As well supplying assays and data of extremely high quality, the initiative the BioAscent team showed when designing and interpreting experiments was a critical factor in the success of this project. Ours was very much a team of intellectual equals, and this intellectual collaboration was very much a driving force behind the success of this programme.
Head of GPCR Pharmacology, Biotech
Our project, against a novel GPCR target, has been a career highlight. We’ve worked closely with BioAscent from the initial assay development and screen, through hit confirmation, hit-to-lead and lead-optimisation, to the point where we have two preclinical candidates. We asked BioAscent to make some really challenging compounds to support our SAR hypotheses, and without the expertise, initiative and tenacity of the BioAscent chemistry team, this project would not have succeeded. In summary, BioAscent has been the best chemistry CRO I’ve worked with.
Director, Medicinal Chemistry, Biotech
The BioAscent in silico discovery team developed a QSAR model based on non-standard activity data that required adaptability and creativity from the BioAscent team. The QSAR model was then used to generate novel compounds and to enumerate focused arrays. Throughout the project, the BioAscent in silico team has been responsive and flexible, which helped us reach a successful conclusion.
- CTO, Tay Therapeutics
Compound Connect has enabled us to significantly improve our assay by providing high-quality customised assay plates in a timely manner. Compound ordering online is easy and flexible, allowing us to 'cherry-pick' sections from the existing compound library. BioAscent's response to our enquiries is always on time and the service provided is highly professional.
- Dr Maria Cristina Munteanu, Senior Scientist, Sonata Therapeutics
Working with the BioAscent scientists was a real pleasure. They performed their work with a high level of quality and professionalism. More importantly, the scientists who were involved in the hit development stage, were fully committed to the success of the project, bringing their own ideas and solutions, which made my role as project owner very comfortable. I would be very happy to work with them again.
- Dr Aubry Miller, Cancer Drug Discovery/Wirkstoffforschung Group Leader, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ).
We have been working with the In Silico Discovery team at BioAscent for over a year.
The first target we collaborated on was very challenging because the activity data were unusual. BioAscent proposed a machine learning approach to model that non-linear activity and predict the activity of a set of new compounds.
We then began collaborating on a second target. BioAscent performed MD simulations, docking studies, focused-library design, structure-based and ligand-based virtual screening. Homology modelling was also carried out for series of proteins to understand the potential selectivity issues among isoforms.
Overall, the BioAscent computational chemistry team has been innovative, reliable, and collaborative. Their work has resulted in meaningful scientific insights and idea generation and made a significant impact on the direction and progress of several of our small molecule drug discovery projects.
- Director Medicinal Chemistry, Global Pharmaceutical Company
ODD has been working with BioAscent for over two years, since we transferred our entire compound management to them. The logistical services are reasonably priced and reduce the burden on our chemists for weighing and dispatching allowing greater productivity. BioAscent can accommodate varying storage requirements for our compounds that reflect differing stabilities and are able to perform analysis on the samples when needed. The shipping turnaround from BioAscent is always rapid and they can accommodate differing shipping formats and often, last-minute changes in our requirements.
- Oxford Drug Design
Our target and mechanism was challenging (an allosteric, covalent inhibitor approach). The proposal from the BioAscent team to support our project was detailed and well-thought-out, with references to show a good level of diligence. Likewise, on our early calls, it was clear that the team were experienced in screening covalent inhibitors. The project itself really benefited from BioAscent’s biology and chemistry expertise, and the collaborative and open approach that they have – they were happy to listen to our ideas, while at the same time not afraid to challenge and contribute – I really appreciated this attitude.
- Project Manager, Apollo Therapeutics
BioAscent computational chemists worked on a structure-based drug design project where there was a Cryo-EM structure of the target. Working on Cryo-EM models is challenging and BioAscent generated valid docking hypothesis and design concepts which resulted in a series of compounds which showed good activity and enabled us to establish new IP position. The BioAscent team is collaborative and professional. Their extensive experience in structure-based drug design allowed them to make a significant impact on the progress of the project. We would happily recommend the BioAscent In Silico Discovery team for computational projects.
- Director of Medicinal Chemistry, US Biotech
A key objective of the University of Edinburgh Cancer Drug Discovery group is to advance cell-based screening technologies beyond the current state-of-the-art. Our partnership with BioAscent combines our longstanding expertise in high content cell-based phenotypic screening with BioAscent's expertise in compound management and quality control processes for compound storage, identification and resupply. Our discussions with BioAscent have been very dynamic and interactive which has helped ensure we developed the compound management solution which best meets our needs. The ongoing relationship with BioAscent and their fast response times are directly supporting our broader goals to establish a world-leading cell-based screening capability which spans across multiple disease areas.
- Neil Carragher, Professor of Drug Discovery at the University of Edinburgh
VAST Bioscience was looking for a compound management provider that is competitively priced, and is fast and flexible in order to service both our screening collaborations of VAST libraries, and our internal drug discovery programs. We have been very pleased with the professionalism that BioAscent has brought to the table, in particular the rapid response and turnaround time for delivering plating orders and shipment, combined with the flexibility and attention to detail. BioAscent has been reliable, timely and accurate, and it was very pleasing to see the positive impact on our internal and external projects.
- VAST Bioscience
