BOSTON– Nuclera and leadXpro have entered into a scientific partnership aimed at accelerating structure-based drug design for complex membrane protein targets by combining rapid protein screening with AI-guided construct design and structural biology expertise.
The collaboration brings together Nuclera’s eProtein Discovery rapid multiplex membrane protein screening technology with leadXpro’s artificial intelligence and machine learning–driven construct design, along with its biophysical and structural characterization capabilities. The companies said the goal is to create an AI-guided, end-to-end workflow that shortens timelines and reduces risk in membrane protein drug discovery programs.
Membrane proteins represent some of the most valuable drug targets but are also among the most difficult to study, as they are challenging to express and purify at the quality and scale required for structural biology and biophysical analysis. These hurdles often slow or stall drug development efforts even when the underlying biology is well understood.
Under the partnership, membrane protein constructs will be designed using AI and screened using Nuclera’s cell-free protein synthesis and multiplex screening platform. The most promising candidates will then undergo detailed biophysical characterization and high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure determination led by leadXpro. Data generated from these studies will be fed back into AI and machine learning models to improve construct design, stability predictions, protein yields, and overall success rates.
Nuclera said the collaboration will also inform future integration of AI and machine learning capabilities into its product portfolio, embedding predictive design directly into the eProtein Discovery system. At the same time, the partnership is expected to further strengthen leadXpro’s platform for rapidly producing and characterizing difficult membrane protein targets.
“Scientists are under pressure to progress increasingly complex membrane protein programs faster,” said Michael Chen, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Nuclera. “By partnering with leadXpro, we can pair AI/ML-driven construct design with our rapid multiplex membrane protein screening to provide a truly ‘lab-in-loop’ workflow. This collaboration is an important step toward embedding AI/ML into Nuclera’s system so that researchers can go from sequence to high-value structural and functional insights in a fraction of the time currently required.”
Michael Hennig, Ph.D., CEO of leadXpro, said access to optimized membrane protein constructs is critical for enabling high-quality structural and biophysical studies. He added that combining Nuclera’s screening platform with leadXpro’s AI, machine learning, and structural biology expertise will support better design decisions earlier in development and help accelerate the progression of promising drug candidates.
