Target Discovery
From Biological Insight to Actionable Targets
Target discovery lays the foundation for a successful drug discovery program. WuXi Biology and Testing brings together capabilities in target identification and validation, protein science, proteomics, phenotypic characterization, and translational biomarker assessment to help you more efficiently assess disease relevance, biological function, and therapeutic tractability.
By integrating complementary evidence from biochemical and cell-based systems with in vivo disease models, we help you test target hypotheses, identify potential risks, and make go/no-go decisions with greater confidence before committing resources to hit finding.
Target Discovery and Validation
Identify promising drug targets and build a stronger evidence base linking them to disease biology. We can combine functional perturbation, cell-based assays, disease models, pathway analysis, and orthogonal readouts to clarify target function, specificity, and biological context. These studies help you prioritize targets with a strong scientific rationale and determine whether additional investment is warranted.
Our target identification and validation capabilities include:
- Functional genomics
- Target deconvolution
- Target engagement assays
- Mechanism-of-action studies
- Biochemical and cell-based functional assays
- Disease-relevant in vitro and in vivo models
- Pathway analysis and orthogonal validation
- Target tractability assessment across therapeutic modalities
Protein Science for Target Enablement
Reliable target proteins, antibodies, and structural insights create a stronger foundation for assay development, screening, and molecular characterization. Our protein science capabilities support target enablement through protein and antibody production, biophysical evaluation, and structural biology approaches tailored to your target and program. This work can improve assay relevance and reveal binding interactions, conformational behavior, and opportunities for structure-guided discovery.
Our protein science capabilities include:
- Recombinant protein expression
- Protein purification and quality control
- Custom antibody production
- Biophysical evaluation
- Structural biology support
Proteomics and Phenotypic Characterization
Connect target perturbation to measurable biological effects using proteomic, pathway, and phenotypic approaches. Our teams can evaluate target engagement, mechanism of action, signaling responses, and functional outcomes across in vitro systems and in vivo disease models. Integrated biomarker and bioinformatics support can help translate these findings into decision-ready evidence and guide downstream hit finding.
Our proteomics and phenotypic characterization capabilities include:
- Quantitative proteomics
- Biomarker discovery
- Phenotypic screening
- Mechanism-of-action studies
- Pathway and signaling analysis
- Translational biomarker assessment
Explore Solutions for Your Program
Explore solutions by development phase, drug modality, therapeutic area, or integrated discovery needs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Target discovery identifies and evaluates biological molecules, pathways, or processes that may play a causal role in disease and could be modulated therapeutically. It typically includes target identification, validation, assessment of tractability, and early characterization of biological context.
Target identification generates potential targets from disease biology, experimental data, and observed phenotypes. Target validation tests whether modifying a proposed target produces a specific, reproducible, and therapeutically meaningful disease-related effect.
Drug targets are validated with complementary evidence from functional perturbation, pathway analysis, biochemical and cell-based assays, disease models, target engagement, and phenotypic readouts. The strategy is tailored to the target and modality.
Target engagement confirms that a molecule interacts with its intended target. Mechanism-of-action studies link the interaction to downstream biological effects, helping to distinguish on-target activity from unrelated effects and strengthening confidence in the target hypothesis.
Protein science provides proteins, antibodies, assays, and structural information needed to assess target tractability and support screening. It can also clarify binding behavior, conformational states, and opportunities for structure-guided discovery.