Integrated Biosciences, a biotechnology leader, has developed an international first and world-leading optogenetic screening platform. This new technology is expected to transform productive drug discovery for all age-related diseases. One of the most recent of those collaborations—a partnership between The Helix Center, St. Created specifically for the identification of small molecule therapeutics, this innovative technology combines optogenetics, chemistry and artificial intelligence.
The platform uses flashes of light to precisely activate biological targets and pathways, maximizing the accuracy of the drug discovery process. By producing highly clean and interpretable readouts, this technology gives researchers the potential to find those high-precision compounds with new, or even unprecedented, mechanisms of action. The company’s approach reduces time and cost to identify potential new therapeutics and generate insights that were otherwise out of reach.
Key Findings from Recent Study
A new study, released on-line in the journal Cell, illustrates the power of this new optogenetic screening platform. Through this study, the team was able to identify lead compounds that showed amazing broad-spectrum antiviral activity in vitro. One compound, in particular, stood out for its outstanding effectiveness. It was able to decrease disease pathology and lower viral titers in a mouse model of ocular herpesvirus infection.
The entire study may be reviewed here at Cell Press and is assigned the DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2025.06.024. These results demonstrate that the new optogenetic platform has potential to transform therapeutic discovery. This is critical for addressing multifactorial diseases of aging.
“Our platform lets us activate specific targets and pathways with light, generating clean, interpretable readouts and the discovery of high-precision compounds, often with unprecedented mechanisms of action, that were previously inaccessible.” – Integrated Biosciences
This innovative approach signifies a pivotal advancement in synthetic biology, showcasing how cutting-edge technologies can reshape the landscape of drug discovery.
Implications for Age-Related Diseases
By advancing optogenetics into the drug discovery pipeline, we will meet a critical therapeutic need for age-related diseases. Conventional drug screening approaches are blunt instruments that do not have the accuracy to systematically interrogate multi-faceted biological pathways. The new platform opens a powerful window for researchers to systematically interrogate disease relevant biology with greater nuance and specificity.
Maxwell Wilson, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Integrated Biosciences, spoke on the transformative potential of this technology.
“Using this novel platform, Integrated Biosciences can now interrogate disease-relevant biology and systematically explore chemical space with a level of nuance and specificity that was previously out of reach.” – Maxwell Wilson, Ph.D.
He emphasized that this is only the starting point for their optogenetic chassis.
“This is only the first demonstration of what our optogenetic platform can do. Synthetic biology gives us the control we need to build more accurate, disease-relevant discovery systems. Our goal is to bring this level of precision to other pathways where conventional tools have failed.” – Maxwell Wilson, Ph.D.
Future Directions and Industry Impact
This new optogenetic screening platform represents a significant technological breakthrough for Integrated Biosciences. It further advances the whole biotechnology sector in the process. The small company has developed a fairly sophisticated tool for drug discovery. This addition increases its capacity to create successful treatments for diseases of aging.
James J. Collins, Ph.D., recognized expert in synthetic biology, praised the innovation, stating:
“This work by the team at Integrated Biosciences is a powerful demonstration of how synthetic biology can reshape therapeutic discovery.” – James J. Collins, Ph.D.
Integrated Biosciences is working to further develop its optogenetic platform. Development this promising unlocks thrilling new doors for study and creation within the self-quarantined field. These possible applications go far beyond age-related diseases, holding the potential to advance many therapeutic areas where accurate drug targeting and timing are necessary.