Background

Ion Channels

At Sygnature Discovery, we recognize the diverse and complex ion channel research needs of our clients.

To address this, we offer a flexible and innovative range of drug discovery solutions, utilizing the latest ion channel technologies and a comprehensive portfolio of electrophysiology assays. Equipped to provide the necessary tools and expertise to support your ion channel drug discovery, we offer over 150 validated ion channel targets and assays across major channel families, species orthologs and disease-relevant variants, as well as generation of bespoke cell lines for proprietary or non-standard targets.

Laboratory automation system configured for ion channel assays, enabling precise profiling and characterization in drug discovery.

Discover tailored ion channel solutions, adapted to your program needs

Target Development

Cell Line Generation

Functional Validation

Assay Development

Screening Strategy Design

High-Throughput Screening

384/1536-Well Formats

Fluorescence-Based Assays

Automated Electrophysiology

Custom Plate Plans & Controls

Hit Verification & Lead Optimization

Concentration-Response Profiling

Routine Screening

Selectivity & Safety Panels

Mechanism-Specific Characterization

Safety & Selectivity Panels

Early safety insight reduces late-stage surprises. We embed cardiac and CNS liability screening into cascades from the start, using high-throughput electrophysiology and orthogonal assay formats to provide clear, decision-ready readouts aligned to your mechanism, modality and exposure expectations.

What we offer

  • Cardiac safety screening from focused early-risk assays through broader liability profiling
  • CNS safety screening to flag neurological off-target risk early
  • Flexible integration at hit-finding, hit-to-lead or lead-optimization stages
  • Consistent reporting outputs to support rapid SAR decisions

Selectivity is rarely a single assay question. We offer curated and customizable selectivity panels to confirm that activity at the intended target and mechanism, including family-level selectivity, species ortholog comparisons, and disease variant profiling where relevant.

How we support selectivity:

  • Off-the-shelf selectivity panels for ion channel families
  • Bespoke panels designed around your specific risk
    hypotheses
  • Cross-platform confirmation to ensure clean SAR learning
  • Rapid turnaround with consistent analysis templates

Customized Screening Cascades

No two ion channel projects are the same. We design cascades to match your target biology, modality and decision gates, from rapid hit finding through to late stage profiling.

Typical cascade elements:

  • Primary HTS in throughput-appropriate formats
  • Secondary confirmation in higher-fidelity electrophysiology
  • Mechanism-specific protocols such as state dependence/kinetics
  • Routine SAR testing for fast medicinal chemistry feedback
  • Rapid turnaround with priority slots to maintain momentum

Integrated Drug Discovery Support

Sygnature Discovery combines premium cell biology and screening expertise with integrated drug discovery capabilities to act as an adaptable extension of in-house research teams, guiding projects from hit identification to lead optimization. Advanced informatics ensure transparent communication and data sharing, enabling unified collaboration to achieve your drug discovery goals.

Why Choose Sygnature Discovery for Ion Channel Support?

With more than twenty years of ion channel leadership, we deliver confident, decision driving data across hundreds of programs for global biotech and pharma teams. We maintain the largest commercially available collection of ion channel targets and assays and generate bespoke cell lines for proprietary or non-standard targets.

Our scientists pioneer challenging areas such as organellar and lysosomal channels, variant characterization, and multi species panels. We design cascades to answer go or no-go questions, not just to generate data. Ion channel expertise is embedded within Sygnature’s wider discovery engine, giving you one team and one integrated workflow from gene to lead and beyond, with no hand off gaps.

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Related Capabilities

Cell line generation

Custom stable cell lines with robust expression and assay reproducibility, streamlined design and validation for confident drug discovery workflows.

Assay Development
Electrophysiology

Precise ion channel and transporter insights through tailored electrophysiology studies supporting target validation, hit identification, and lead optimization decisions.

High Throughput Screening

Integrated hit identification using HTS, fragment screening, and advanced automation delivering high-quality starting points for successful drug discovery.