Our Services

LifeSensors’ goal is to help researchers find solutions to the most complex problems related to the diverse UPS. Properly leveraging our ubiquitin products, TUBE technologies, and SUMO-fusion systems can help you to discover and develop targeted drugs from this complex pathway. We offer a variety of services employing our technology that will accelerate PROTAC and UPS drug discovery.

As a LifeSensors customer, your project begins with a consultation with members of our team to discuss target(s), project goals, assay formats, and assay parameters. The consultation will determine how experiments such as cell culture, assay development, technology transfer, and drug treatment will be divided between you and LifeSensors. Then, a statement of work plan and a timeline of deliverables will be agreed. The project likely will feature regular updates and conclude with a final report. Assay reagents may be purchased from a vendor or customized for your project.

By collaborating with LifeSensors for PROTAC or UPS drug discovery needs, you will obtain the data required to advance compounds from early stage discovery and characterization to animal and clinical studies.

PROTAC Drug Discovery

The current methodologies to determine activity of PROTAC drugs are based on immunoblotting and reporter cell lines, both of which are time-consuming, prone to artifacts, and only semi-quantitative.  LifeSensors has developed rapid, plate-based assays for your PROTAC discovery.

Mass Spec Ubiquitin Proteomics

Traditional methods for mass spectrometry-based proteomics, such as SILAC (stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture) and others, are insensitive, poorly reproducible, costly, and time-consuming. LifeSensors’ TUBEs bind to various types of polyubiquitin chain with 1-10 nM affinity, eliminating major problems common to mass spectrometry and providing quantitative and accurate proteomics. LifeSensors has developed K63-, K48-, and M1(linear)-chain selective TUBEs for your ubiquitin proteomics projects.

E3 Ligase Screening & Profiling

E3 ligases catalyze the transfer of ubiquitin to protein substrates or to themselves in a process that requires two additional enzymes, E1 and E2; the result is mono- or polyubiquitylation. Traditional methods for visualizing this process entail immunoblotting. Using our TUBE technology, LifeSensors has developed E3 ligase plate-based assays that, unlike immunoblotting methods, are rapid and quantitative.

DUB Screening & Profiling

Deubiquitinases or deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) can reverse the effect of E3 ligases by removing ubiquitin from target proteins. They are also involved in ubiquitin maturation, recycling, and editing. Unlike most E3 ligases, DUBs have an inherent catalytic activity that is easily targeted by small molecules. LifeSensors offers three options to assay DUB activity.

Protein Expression & Purification

Our SUMO-tag expression systems maximize the yield of soluble, functional proteins in E. coli, yeast, insect, and mammalian cells. LifeSensors provides custom protein expression and purification as a service for your protein purification projects.

Biophysical Assays

Biophysical characterization of potential hits from a screening campaign is a vital part of the drug discovery process.  LifeSensors introduces two biophysical assays – Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and Thermal Shift Assay (TSA) to help clients in both early and late stage drug discovery programs.

Biomarker Assay Development

Our TUBE technology has enabled scientists to identify proteins whose ubiquitylation patterns are different in control versus test subjects. This technology combined with mass spectroscopy provides a powerful tool to identify biomarkers in diseases. Let LifeSensors help you with your biomarker discovery project.