By leveraging a wide array of biochemical, biophysical, and cellular assays, in vitro pharmacology provides critical insights into the efficacy, safety, and mechanism of action of new drugs. At Alfa Chemistry, we offer a comprehensive suite of in vitro pharmacology services designed to support each stage of the drug development pipeline with precision and reliability.
Our Services
At Alfa Chemistry, we are committed to excellence in pharmacology services, including:
Biophysical Assays
Biophysical assays are crucial for understanding the physical interactions between molecules, which are fundamental to drug action. Our biophysical assay capabilities include:
- Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR): Utilizing Biacore T200 & 8k systems, SPR measures the binding kinetics and affinities of interactions between drugs and their targets in real time.
- Thermal Shift Assay (TSA): TSA monitors changes in protein stability upon ligand binding by measuring shifts in the melting temperature of proteins.
- Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC): ITC directly measures the heat released or absorbed during molecular binding events, providing a detailed thermodynamic profile of interactions, including binding constants, enthalpy, and entropy changes.
- Biolayer Interferometry (BLI): BLI offers real-time, label-free analysis of biomolecular interactions by detecting changes in optical thickness on a sensor surface.
- Temperature Related Intensity Change (TRIC): TRIC assesses molecular interactions and stability by monitoring temperature-induced changes in fluorescence intensity, providing insights into protein-ligand binding dynamics.
Biochemistry Assays
Biochemistry assays are essential for quantifying biochemical activities and interactions. Our offerings include:
- Light Absorbance: This technique measures the concentration of analytes based on their absorbance of specific wavelengths of light, commonly used in enzyme kinetics and concentration assays.
- Luminescence: Luminescent assays detect light emitted from biochemical reactions, useful in ATP quantification, reporter gene assays, and cytotoxicity tests.
- Fluorescence Intensity: Measuring the intensity of fluorescent signals from labeled molecules, this assay is widely used in studying enzyme activities, protein interactions, and cell-based assays.
- Fluorescence Polarization: This technique measures changes in the rotational motion of fluorescently labeled molecules, providing insights into binding events and molecular interactions.
- ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is used for the detection and quantification of proteins, peptides, antibodies, and hormones, making it a staple in diagnostic and research applications.
- AlphaScreen and AlphaLISA: These bead-based proximity assays detect biomolecular interactions by measuring the transfer of energy between donor and acceptor beads, suitable for high-throughput screening.
Cellular Assays
Cellular assays provide critical information on the effects of compounds on cell function and viability. Our comprehensive range includes:
- Cell Viability, Apoptosis, Proliferation, Cell Cycle, and Cell Death Assays: These assays assess the health and response of cells to compounds, providing data on cytotoxicity, anti-cancer activity, and other therapeutic effects.
- Cell Migration and Invasion Assays: Essential for cancer research, these assays measure the ability of cells to move and invade through extracellular matrices, simulating metastatic behavior.
- Cellular Uptake Assays: These assays evaluate the internalization and distribution of compounds within cells, crucial for understanding drug delivery and efficacy.
- Cell Co-culture Assays: By culturing different cell types together, these assays study cell-cell interactions and their impact on drug response, providing a more physiologically relevant environment.
- Intracellular Signaling Assays: Techniques like calcium flux and reporter gene assays monitor changes in intracellular signaling pathways, elucidating the mechanisms through which compounds exert their effects.
- Protein Expression Analysis: Using Western blotting, immunostaining, immunofluorescence, we measure the expression and modification of proteins within cells, crucial for understanding drug impact at the molecular level.
- Gene Knockdown and Knockout: These techniques allow the study of gene function and the effects of gene silencing or deletion on cellular processes.
- Stable Cell Line Generation: We develop cell lines with stable expression of target proteins or reporter genes, providing consistent and reliable models for drug screening and mechanistic studies.
- FACS and High Content Imaging Systems: Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and high-content imaging systems enable detailed analysis of cell populations and phenotypes, supporting complex and high-throughput cellular assays.
Our Strengths
- Multidisciplinary Expertise
Alfa Chemistry's team comprises experts from various therapeutic areas, ensuring a broad and deep understanding of diverse pharmacological challenges.
- Advanced Technology
Our use of cutting-edge tools like the Biacore T200 & 8k for SPR and advanced fluorescence readers for TR-FRET highlights our commitment to delivering high-quality data.
- Extensive Assay Portfolio
Our broad portfolio of assays covers all critical aspects of in vitro pharmacology, from initial target validation to advanced lead optimization.
- Rigorous Data Quality and Reporting
Our detailed and transparent reporting facilitates informed decision-making, helping our clients advance their drug development programs with confidence.
At Alfa Chemistry, our comprehensive suite of in vitro pharmacology services, advanced technologies, and expert team enable us to deliver high-quality, reliable results that drive successful drug development. Contact us today to learn more about our services and discover how we can empower your journey towards innovation and success.