By integrating targets, assay formats, technologies, and biological models and materials, ICE Bioscience helps discovery teams build fit-for-purpose assay cascades from early target exploration to validated hit identification.
Published by ICE Bioscience
In early drug discovery, scientific progress depends on more than a single assay or technology. A robust screening strategy requires the right target, the right biological question, the right detection method, and the right biological context. ICE Bioscience developed the Biology Building Block (BBB) platform to bring these elements together in a modular and scalable way.
The BBB platform is organized around four interconnected pillars: targets, assay formats, technologies, and biological models and materials. By treating each pillar as a reusable building block, ICE Bioscience can rapidly configure assays and screening cascades for different mechanisms, disease areas, and project stages.
Four pillars that turn biology into executable assays
A target defines what the program aims to modulate, while the assay format defines the biological question being asked: Does the compound bind? Does it inhibit or activate? Does it change a cellular function or phenotype? The technology then determines how that answer is measured, whether through biophysical, biochemical, imaging, electrophysiology, luminescence, fluorescence, or other detection systems.
Biological models and materials complete the system. Some biochemical and biophysical assays may rely on purified proteins, protein complexes, substrates, cofactors, or membranes. Functional and phenotypic studies, by contrast, often require the right cell type, genotype, species background, disease state, tissue context, or in vivo model. This fourth pillar ensures that assays are not only technically feasible, but biologically meaningful.
Continuously updated through scientific intelligence
To keep the BBB platform current and comprehensive, ICE Bioscience actively tracks emerging targets, assay strategies, enabling technologies, and disease-relevant biological systems from patents, conferences, scientific literature, and commercial databases. The company has reviewed thousands of patents and continues to analyze new patent releases on a weekly basis to identify early signals in target biology and therapeutic innovation.
These insights are organized in our Patent-Target-Assay Database (PTAD), a searchable internal knowledge system designed to connect target intelligence with available products, assay capabilities, biological materials, and translational model options.
From hit identification to validation and risk reduction
ICE Bioscience integrates the BBB platform into screening cascades that support the full early discovery workflow, including target research, biological model selection, assay development, initial screening, hit expansion, dose-response analysis, orthogonal validation, mechanism-of-action studies, and DMPK evaluation.
Broad coverage for modern biology programs
The BBB platform brings together protein expression and purification, genomic analysis, biophysical assays, biochemical assays, cell-based assays, phenotypic screening, electrophysiology, high-content imaging, flow cytometry, live-cell imaging, reporter assays, NanoBiT/NanoBRET systems, and in vivo pharmacology models commonly required in modern drug discovery.
By combining scientific intelligence, ready-to-use assay modules, biological materials, translational models, and integrated pharmacology capabilities, ICE Bioscience aims to help global pharmaceutical, biotech, and research partners explore new targets, validate mechanisms, and make earlier decisions with stronger biological evidence.
Partner with ICE Bioscience to accelerate early discovery
From emerging target evaluation to assay cascade design, ICE Bioscience provides integrated biology, DMPK, and in vivo pharmacology support for innovative drug discovery programs.
