Validation of antimicrobial drug target selection using X-ray crystallographic methods

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Indel Therapeutics Inc. is a Vancouver-headquartered antibiotic drug discovery company aiming to develop a pipeline of anti-microbials using its proprietary antibiobiotic target selection platform. Indel has embarked upon a collaborative venture with the laboratory of Dr. Michael James at the University of Alberta to experimentally validate the Indel platform. The James laboratory specializes in determining the X-ray crystal structures of proteins and protein-nucleic acid complexes and is a world leader in the field. The molecular structure of high-priority targets identified by the Indel process will be determined. This knowledge will enable virtual screening to identify potential inhibitors of the target protein. Subsequent molecular structures of target-inhibitor complexes will reveal whether Indel targeting predictions are correlated with what is observed experimentally. Going forward, the structural insights will allow crystallographers to rationally guide the improvement of the inhibitor to increase its potency and specificity. Additionally, the development of a robust assay of a target's activity will enable Indel to develop a high throughput screen to test inhibitors that emerge from its medicinal chemistry arm.