Joshua Carter, Co-founder & CEOThese proteins, integral to treating diseases such as cancer, asthma, and diabetes, are the foundation of the company’s work. Helix is equipped with a comprehensive suite of services—from project conceptualization and construct design to protein production, biophysical characterization, and structural biology—making It a onestop shop for early drug discovery research.
A comprehensive suite of services under one roof eliminates the need for pharmaceutical companies to coordinate with multiple CROs, streamlining the drug discovery process. This positions Helix as a dependable partner adept at building collaborative relationships that go beyond the conventional service provider model.
“We're a small company, but that doesn’t stop us from prioritizing each customer and treating them as valued partners in the drug development journey,” says Joshua Carter, co-founder and CEO.
Fueled by a customer-centric approach, Helix deeply integrates with clients to become an extension of their research teams, thoroughly understanding each project and providing highly personalized attention. Transparent and consistent communication keeps clients fully informed throughout the research process, accelerating projects from the early stages through clinical development and, ultimately, to market.
A Personalized Approach to Drug Discovery
Custom protein production is a core competency. This tailored approach is essential in early drug discovery, where proteins must be precisely suited to subsequent processes such as structural biology, biophysical characterization, or assay development. Helix’s expertise lies in understanding the specific requirements of each target and consistently delivering high-purity proteins, optimized for their intended use.
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is another indemand service where Helix excels. This technique offers a significant advantage by enabling direct imaging of proteins in solution, rapidly frozen on a cryo-EM grid. It's especially effective for studying complex proteins and has gained considerable popularity, providing valuable benefits for partnering clients. With over five years of providing industrial cryo-EM services, Helix has earned notable recognition, including three publications in Nature.
For example, clients may choose to send their own proteins to Helix for crystallization or cryo-EM analysis, or provide crystals grown in their own labs for X-ray data collection and diffraction analysis. This flexibility enables clients to leverage the CRO’s expertise precisely as needed for their projects, optimizing time and resources.
Helix takes the time to explain to new clients all the ways it can assist, ensuring they understand the breadth of expertise available to them. It is also an expert at understanding the client’s specific target and research needs. It delves into the client's goal, asks key questions and determines how to provide the best solutions. This is followed by a detailed proposal outlining the planned approach, project scope and timelines, demonstrating efficiency and transparency. Once the proposal is approved and the necessary legal paperwork is completed, Helix ensures that all required raw materials are procured and the research work can promptly begin.
We're a small company, but that doesn’t stop us from prioritizing each customer and treating them as valued partners in the drug development journey
An example of Helix’s expertise is its work with a small DNA binding protein, weighing in at just 56 kilodaltons. This protein presented unique difficulties due to its size and the intricacies of its DNA interactions, making structural determination particularly complex and seemingly impossible with X-ray crystallography.
When a client approached Helix with the task of characterizing this protein, the team swiftly advanced it to cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). However, during the cryo-EM phase, the protein exhibited unexpected behavior that hindered structural analysis. To overcome these challenges, Helix’s scientists revisited the construct design and purification protocols. They meticulously redesigned the protein construct, optimizing it for better compatibility with cryo-EM vitrification on a grid. This innovative approach, coupled with their expertise in sample preparation and cryo-EM data processing, led to a successful structural characterization.
The project highlights Helix’s ability to tackle complex protein challenges through cutting-edge solutions and deep scientific expertise. Helix’s “gene-to-structure” scientists excel in every aspect of protein work—from production to structural analysis—and are adept at delivering clear, actionable insights to their clients.
Trained to adopt an ownership mindset and commitment to each project, its scientists nurture a genuine passion for science. They help pharmaceutical clients overcome critical challenges by bringing a research-driven approach to drug discovery. They thoroughly analyze each target from multiple angles to find the most effective solutions to save time and money. Their expertise enables smoother transitions from early-stage research to clinical development, accelerating the path to market for new therapeutics. Carter, a scientist in his own right, fosters an environment where the enthusiasm for scientific discovery is palpable, enabling Helix to effortlessly keep pace with the evolving drug development landscape.
Small protein kinases are still regularly worked on; however, many innovators look to experiment with more challenging protein complexes. The focus has also expanded beyond traditional small-molecule drugs, which dominated the market a few decades ago. Today, there is a growing interest in a new generation of therapeutics, including biologics such as antibodies and monoclonal antibodies, gene therapies and gene editing tools, and Helix is more than equipped to meet these challenges head-on.
An unwavering commitment to scientific excellence and customer satisfaction has cemented Helix BioStructures as a leading CRO in early-stage drug discovery, empowering clients to accelerate research and achieve successful drug development outcomes.
