Cube Biotech

Cryo-EM structures go to the PDB (coordinates) and EMDB (maps). But if you work on membrane proteins, you’ll notice something is always missing: 𝗡𝗼𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱. Detergent? SMA? DIBMA? Something else? To get this info, you have to dig manually through the literature—figure by figure, supplement by supplement. So that’s what we did. This carousel shows parts of a list of 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀, from 2018 to 2024: • Polymer used • Resolution • Lipid visibility • Literature links In some of these maps, 𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱. In others—they’re not. And in some cases, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲. I’ll go deeper into that in my next post. For now: 💬 Have you seen similar shifts depending on solubilization? Which polymers worked best in your hands? 👇 Drop your experience in the comments. Let’s build a shared reference base. ————————— ♻️ Repost if you found this valuable 📩 Follow me for discussions on biotech, membrane proteins, and lab innovations.

📔 Let's learn about protein-protein interactions with Christel S.. On Tuesday, the 29th of April, Christel will talk about why protein-protein interactions are essential for understanding complex biological mechanisms and are critical in the context of health and disease. Learn how pull-down assays, SPR, and BLI can be effectively applied using Strep-tag® technology for identifying and analyzing interaction partners. 𝖩𝗈𝗂𝗇 𝗈𝗇 LinkedIn or 𝖻𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ev-NR6TP #proteininteraction #pulldown #BLI #SPR #strep

Everyone talks about how to study membrane proteins; let´s talk about how to get them into solution first. That’s the real bottleneck. Solubilization isn’t just a prep step. It’s the foundation that decides whether your structure will be biologically meaningful or just an artifact. If your protein loses its fold, its partners, or its lipids—you lose the science. This second deck in my membrane protein series breaks down solubilization strategies that actually work. And more importantly: it frames solubilization as a strategic decision, not a routine protocol. Because if you can’t keep it stable, you’ll never get to the insights that matter. More decks coming soon. This is #2 in a new series on membrane protein workflows. Stay tuned. ————————— ♻️ Repost if you found this valuable! 📩 Follow me for discussions on biotech, membrane proteins, and lab innovations.

🔬 Understanding 𝗛𝗜𝗩 remains a critical scientific endeavor as the virus continues to affect millions globally. Advancements in research not only enhance our knowledge of HIV's complex mechanisms but also pave the way for innovative #prevention and #treatment strategies. A notable breakthrough in 2024 was the development of lenacapavir, an injectable drug offering six months of protection per dose, which demonstrated near-perfect efficacy in preventing HIV infections across diverse populations. Central to lenacapavir's success is its targeting of the HIV capsid protein, a critical component of the virus's structure and function. This achievement underscores the 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 in identifying novel therapeutic targets. However, maintaining the native conformation of #membraneproteins such as the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) during extraction and analysis has been a longstanding challenge, often leading to loss of function and misrepresentation of their natural states. Recent research has introduced NativeMP Copolymers, such as Amphipol 18, as a promising solution to this issue. Unlike traditional detergents, Copolymers can 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗛𝗜𝗩-𝟭 𝗘𝗻𝘃 directly from membranes 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 its 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. This method facilitates the formation of lipid-nanodiscs that preserve the antigenic profile of Env, maintaining its integrity over extended periods and under various conditions. Such advancements not only enhance our ability to study #HIV-1 Env in its functional state but also hold exciting potential for applying similar techniques to investigate and combat other viral diseases. ❓ For which other diseases could this pave an innovative path to more prevention and treatment? Will we finally get HIV under control? What do you think?

The German Biotechnology Days in Heidelberg are approaching fast. Connect with Dr. Benedikt Ni and Dr. Antony Yerabham to discuss membrane protein science on April 9-10. See you in beautiful Heidelberg! 👀

60% of all drug targets are membrane proteins. Yet, they remain some of the most challenging targets in modern drug discovery. 𝗪𝗵𝘆? Because once removed from their native lipid environment, membrane proteins are highly unstable. They lose their conformation and aggregate, often becoming non-functional. This makes downstream applications like Cryo-EM, binding assays, and screening unreliable or even impossible. This short slide deck introduces: • Why membrane proteins are so fragile • The limitations of detergents • The importance of lipid context • How stabilization is driving real-world breakthroughs in GPCR drug discovery This is the beginning of a new series where I’ll explore key challenges and advances in membrane protein research, shared in a clear, snackable format for anyone working in life sciences. If you're working in drug discovery, structural biology, or protein science, I'd love to hear what challenges you're facing in MP workflows. Let’s exchange ideas and push the field forward. ————————— ♻️ Repost if you found this valuable 📩 Follow me for discussions on biotech, membrane proteins, and lab innovations.  

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗠𝗣 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁 – 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗹 𝗣𝗘𝗚, 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗹 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸! 𝖬𝖾𝗆𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗌 (𝖬𝖯𝗌) 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖽𝗂𝖻𝗅𝗒 𝖽𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖾, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗈 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝖻𝗂𝗅𝗂𝗓𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆. 𝖤𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗂𝗇 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗊𝗎𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗊𝗎𝗂𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌. 𝖠𝗇𝖽 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗌, 𝖼𝗈𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗒𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆𝗌, 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗌𝗎𝖻𝗍𝗅𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖾𝗆𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝗆𝗈𝖽𝗂𝖿𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗍’𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗒 𝗍𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒 𝗐𝖾’𝗋𝖾 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗂𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗋𝗈𝖽𝗎𝖼𝖾 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗍𝗈 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖢𝗎𝖻𝗂𝗉𝗈l 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒: ◾ 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗹 𝗣𝗘𝗚: D𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝖽𝗎𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗀𝗀𝗋𝖾𝗀𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗅𝗎𝖻𝗂𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗀𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗌. ◾ 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗹 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲: I𝗆𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝖺𝗍𝗂𝖻𝗂𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺𝖼𝗂𝖽𝗂𝖼 𝗈𝗋 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖾𝗌. 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝖼𝗈𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗒𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗉𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗍𝖺𝖼𝗄𝗅𝖾 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾𝗑 𝖬𝖯 𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗌. 𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾’𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗄𝖾𝗒: 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝖤𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗂𝗇 𝗂𝗌 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗊𝗎𝖾, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖭𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾𝖬𝖯™ 𝖯𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆 𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗂𝗅𝗍 𝖺𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗂𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖺𝖼𝖼𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝖻𝗂𝗅𝗂𝗓𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗉𝗂𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗑𝗍. 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗍’𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗠𝗣 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗶𝘁 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗌 𝗂𝗇, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗇𝗈𝗐, 𝗂𝗍 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗀𝗈𝗍 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗉𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖿𝗎𝗅. 🧪  𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸: 𝖠 𝖿𝗅𝖾𝗑𝗂𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝖺𝖽𝖽-𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗀𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝖼𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝖼𝗈𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗒𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗌, 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖢𝗎𝖻𝗂𝗉𝗈𝗅 𝖯𝖤𝖦 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖠𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖾. 𝖨𝗍 𝗉𝗅𝗎𝗀𝗌 𝖽𝗂𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗅𝗒 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖾𝗑𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖭𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾𝖬𝖯 𝖲𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖪𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝖼𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗉𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗒 𝗎𝗉-𝗍𝗈-𝖽𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝖽𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗉𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: Cubipol PEG ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eXpFxiXF Cubipol Amine ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ed--rQQK NativeMP Screening Kit + Innovation Pack ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eEViUWEh

𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀 – 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲, 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 From simple bitopic receptors to intricate β-barrel structures—membrane proteins are anything but uniform. They serve as the body’s molecular gatekeepers: • Transporting nutrients • Relaying signals • Acting as therapeutic targets—over 60% of all drugs aim at them Yet studying them? That’s a whole different story. Their structural complexity, hydrophobicity, and reliance on lipid environments make purification and analysis incredibly tough. One wrong step, and you lose native conformation—resulting in misleading data and failed assays. To overcome this, researchers have turned to various strategies: • Using detergents to solubilize • Expressing soluble domains • Engineering stabilizing mutations But the one component most often lost—the lipids—is also the most important. Copolymer technologies like 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗠𝗣 are helping preserve this native lipid environment, offering researchers a way to study membrane proteins in conditions that better reflect their true biological state. For structure. For function. For drug discovery that actually translates. ————————— ♻️ Repost if you found this valuable! 📩 Follow me for discussions on biotech, membrane proteins, and lab innovations.

We are excited to welcome Scarlett Döring as our new Director Supply Chain here at Cube Biotech! With an impressive background in business administration and over a decade of leadership experience, Scarlett has a proven track record of optimizing operational workflows, managing high-performing teams, and driving efficiency. Scarlett’s journey into leadership began early in her career, and for the past 12 years, she has successfully led teams with a strong focus on personnel management, process optimization, and cost control. She holds advanced qualifications in social and healthcare management, as well as an AEVO trainer certification, enabling her to cultivate talent within organizations. Currently, she is further enhancing her expertise through a Master professional in Business Management degree, which she is set to complete in 2025. In her role at Cube Biotech and IBA Lifesciences, Scarlett will be responsible for overseeing Order Processing, Purchasing, Logistics, and Shipping, as well as Facility Management in Göttingen. A key priority will be strengthening collaboration between our Monheim and Göttingen sites while implementing process automation to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness. We are excited to have Scarlett on board and look forward to the positive impact she will make. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome!

📔 𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗿. Philipp T. Hanisch 𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟮𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵, 𝖯𝗁𝗂𝗅𝗂𝗉𝗉 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝖬𝖠𝖫𝖯 𝖬𝖾𝗆𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖾 𝖯𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗂𝗇 𝖢𝗈𝗇𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 (𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦). 𝖧𝖾'𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝖺𝗅𝗄 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 "𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗠𝗣 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀" 𝖩𝗈𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖻𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 ➡️ https://lnkd.in/etFezPuQ #NativeMP #MembraneProteins #MultiplexingOpticalMethods