Nuclera, the biotechnology company enabling rapid access to high-quality proteins, today announced the launch of its NanoDisc panel to support G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) screening and scale-up. Nanodisc panels built on eProtein Discovery™ membrane protein workflow capabilities enable membrane protein researchers focused on GPCR research to identify optimal membrane environments, increase production of difficult therapeutic targets, GPCRs, and produce active proteins in 48 hours.
Nuclera’s Nanodisc panel includes GPCR screening kits and scale-up reagents, including a combination of eight Nanodiscs comprised of two membrane scaffold proteins (MSPs) and four lipid compositions. Nanodisc panels enable researchers to rapidly and cost-effectively express active GPCRs, minimizing the variability associated with traditional approaches to membrane protein production. Preassembled nanodiscs target specific charge, fluidity, and/or cholesterol requirements for GPCR activity and yield.
Despite one-third of FDA-approved drugs acting on GPCRs, obtaining purified, stable, and functional GPCRs remains a significant bottleneck in pharmacology and drug discovery. Traditionally, cell-based detergent micelles are used to solubilize membrane proteins, often resulting in the proteins adopting non-native conformations. Nanodiscs provide a soluble membrane bilayer, allowing the study of membrane proteins and their interactions under native-like conditions, better preserving structural integrity, and alive Functionality compared to detergent-based approaches.
Direct integration of Nuclera’s pre-assembled nanodiscs into eProtein Discovery’s cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) approach enables co-translational insertion of nascent proteins. This provides high yields of soluble active membrane proteins with improved stability for downstream applications and streamlines drug discovery workflows from screening to characterization.
Since releasing the Membrane Protein Workflow in 2025, we have recognized significant potential in the market to support GPCR protein scientists. Our eProtein Discovery™ Nanodisc Panel allows researchers to explore physiologically relevant environments where membrane protein solubility, insertion, and stability have been validated. Compared to traditional approaches, these can increase protein yield while preserving functionality, creating a rapid route to purified, active GPCRs. ”
Dr. Audrey Dubourg, Nuclera Product Manager
Dr. Michael Chen, CEO and co-founder of Nuclera, commented: “The release of our GPCR Nanodisc panel addresses the pressures scientists face to rapidly produce functional membrane proteins. This capability, integrated with eProtein Discovery, provides researchers with a powerful approach to increase the success rate of active GPCR expression.”
