ImQuest BioSciences

The ImQuestSUCCESS platform is utilized at each and every stage of product development to critically evaluate the potential of a test compound and to assure that Efficacy, Toxicity, and Pharmaceutical Properties of a test compound are evaluated in a comprehensive and interactive way. The platform helps to assure that the best clinical product is chosen for continued investment and development. Successful completion of the platform objectives provides significant confidence in the potential of the test compound to transition to human clinical trials. ImQuestSUCCESS empowers us to work smarter, not harder.

We know time is money. The ImQuestSUCCESS platform enhances the robustness of drug development efforts and reduces the risk of expensive clinical development failures by allowing us to exclude candidates which are likely to fail during advanced preclinical and clinical development at early (and less expensive) time points. The ImQuestSUCCESS platform allows the positive selection of those products with the highest probability of clinical success.

The ImQuestSUCCESS platform consists of interrelated efficacy-defining components for cancer (OncoSENS), infectious disease including microbiology and virology (MicroSENS, PrevSENS, ViroSENS), and women's health (FemSENS) with parallel evaluations of in vitro and ex vivo toxicity (ToxiSENS) and the pharmaceutical properties of clinical candidates (PharmaSENS).

Human Immunodeficiency Viruses
 Hundreds of clinical and laboratory HIV-1 strains representative of Group M and O
 Drug-resistant and multi-drug resistant HIV-1 isolates
 Clinical and laboratory HIV-2 strains
Hepatitis and Flaviviruses
 Hepatitis C Virus
 Zika Virus
 Chikungunya Virus
 West Nile Virus
 Surrogate Hepatitis C Virus - Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV)
 Dengue Virus subtypes 1 through 4
 Yellow Fever Virus
Respiratory Viruses
 Influenza Virus (A & B)-Numerous wild-type and drug-resistant strains
 Human Parainfluenza Viruses
 Respiratory Syncytial Viruses
 Human Rhinoviruses
 Measles Virus
 Human Adenoviruses
Herpes Viruses
 Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 and 2
 Human Cytomegalovirus
 Varicella Zoster Virus
Enteric Viruses
 Enteroviruses
 Echoviruses
 Coxsackie Viruses
 Poliovirus

Save valuable time and avoid all the tedious steps in virus production for your research. Take advantage of ImQuest BioSciences’ production service for your virus stocks. With expertise gained from years of experience in cell culture and the development of new antiviral agents, we propagate, concentrate, and characterize viruses at scales ranging from milliters to liters.

Crude and concentrated virus can be further processed including preparation of viral proteins, virus inactivation, and isolation of viral genomic nucleic acids. Concentration by Tangential flow fliteration (TFF) and ultracentrifugation is available. Whatever your needs, our scientists will customize the production process to your specifications. We offer molecular biology services to complement our virus production services.

Services include:

Production of crude virus preparations
Concentration of virus from crude preparations
Preparation of crude infected cell lysates
Isolation of viral proteins, RNA & DNA Determination of virus concentration; plaque assay and TCID50 determinations
Preparation of inactivated virus
Quantification of proteins and nucleic acids

A Certificate of Analysis (CoA) is provided with each material. This typically includes OD260/280 for viral particle estimation and/or TCID50 assay for viral infectious titer.

HBV stock production is also available

ImQuest BioSciences provides expert virology services to help our clients rapidly identify therapeutic and prevention products with the potential to inhibit the replication of viruses using state-of-the-art and established in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models. The ImQuest BioSciences' staff has decades of virology experience with quality, efficient and cost-effective product development services for antiviral therapeutic agents and product development.

Our virology services begins with basic drug discovery screening and testing programs and follows a well-defined antiviral developmental pathway, guided by documents such as the FDA Points to Consider in the Preclinical Development of Antiviral Drugs for the Treatment of HIV Infection. Our services are available for the evaluation of small molecules, natural products, immune modulators, biologics and therapeutic antibodies and provide necessary support from initial discovery, structure-activity relationship evaluation, lead identification and IND-directed preclinical development.

ImQuest's MicroSENS program facilitates the rapid screening of novel antimicrobial agents using established in vitro assays and the evaluation of active compounds in well-defined or customized animal models of infection. In Vitro Antimicrobial Evaluations  CLSI broth-based microdilution for MIC and MBC determination  Kill-curve analysis  Analysis of bactericidal versus bacteriostatic activity  Post-antibiotic effect evaluation  Inhibition of biofilm development and disruption  Persister cell assays  Minimal biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC)  Combination antimicrobial evaluations  Resistance selection and characterization  Mechanism of action studies  β-lactamase assays

ImQuest BioSciences offers a panel of in vitro assays to evaluate the cyto-toxicity and mechanism of cytotoxicity of potential pharmaceutical prod-ucts. In vitro cytotoxicity assays are used to predict the toxicity of com-pounds as well as to identify potential safety and development problems prior to in vivo safety and toxicology evaluations. Together with infor-mation on the drug candidate’s efficacy and pharmaceutical properties, the results may be used to select lead compounds that will be given pref-erence for progression to animal studies and IND-directed development. In addition, in vitro toxicity assays provide preliminary information about the mechanisms of toxicity likely to be observed during in vivo studies.
To assess the effects of test compounds on cell viability, cell proliferation and macromolecule synthesis, ImQuest’s cytotoxicity evaluations are per-formed with a number of human immune system cell types and cell types representative of the major functional organ systems. Examples of these cell types include: peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), mono-cyte-macrophages, dendritic cells, bone marrow progenitor cells, primary hepatocytes, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) cardiomyocytes, iPS neu-rons and renal proximal tubule cells (RPTEC).

The foundation of the MicroSENS program consists of a select panel of clinically relevant wild-type and antibiotic resistant microorganisms to assess the efficacy, range and mechanism of antibacterial and antifungal activity, and mechanisms of resistance. We offer services for all of the ESKAPE pathogens, as well as a wide variety of gram positive, gram negative and anaerobic organisms. Additionally, we offer services to identify antibacterial agents that inhibit the growth of biofilms and accelerate the evaluation of anti-tuberculosis products.

The MicroSENS program facilitates the rapid evaluation of compounds in well established in vitro antibacterial and antifungal assays and extends the evaluation of active compounds in well-defined antimicrobial animal models including the sepsis and neutropenic thigh models, as well as other unique and disease-specific animal models.

Rapidly identify high potential anti-Zika drug candidates with our anti-Zika virus screening assay with parallel evaluations of efficacy and cellular toxicity. A variety of cell lines may be used in our assay including Vero, BHK21, LLCKMK2, and Huh7. Assays using primary PBMC and primary dermal fibroblasts are in development. The antiviral assay has been optimized for 8 different Zika strains currently in house. Optimization is currently in progress for additional strains, including virus isolates from Honduras, Panama and Mexico. We will customize and optimize the assay to meet your development needs. RT-PCR endpoint and detection is also available.

ImQuest's MicroSENS program facilitates the rapid screening of novel antimicrobial agents using established in vitro assays and the evaluation of active compounds in well-defined or customized animal models of infection. In Vitro Antimicrobial Evaluations  CLSI broth-based microdilution for MIC and MBC determination  Kill-curve analysis  Analysis of bactericidal versus bacteriostatic activity  Post-antibiotic effect evaluation  Inhibition of biofilm development and disruption  Persister cell assays  Minimal biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC)  Combination antimicrobial evaluations  Resistance selection and characterization  Mechanism of action studies  β-lactamase assays

The MicroSENS program facilitates the rapid screening of novel antimicrobial agents using established in vitro assays and the evaluation of active compounds in well-defined or customized animal models of infection. ESKAPE and other drug-resistant pathogens available, including  Carbapenam resistant  Extended spectrum beta-lactam resistant (ESBL)  Methicillin resistant  Penicillin resistant  Vancomycin resistant  Linezolid resistant  NDM-1 resistant  Multi-drug resistant.

ImQuest's MicroSENS program facilitates the rapid screening of novel antimicrobial agents using established in vitro assays and the evaluation of active compounds in well-defined or customized animal models of infection. In Vitro Antimicrobial Evaluations  CLSI broth-based microdilution for MIC and MBC determination  Kill-curve analysis  Analysis of bactericidal versus bacteriostatic activity  Post-antibiotic effect evaluation  Inhibition of biofilm development and disruption  Persister cell assays  Minimal biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC)  Combination antimicrobial evaluations  Resistance selection and characterization  Mechanism of action studies  β-lactamase assays

Additional in Vivo Models available  Neutropenic thigh model  Peritonitis-sepsis model  Systemic sepsis model  Custom models (upon request)  CLSI-based serum bactericidal effect (for some models)

Additional in Vivo Models available  Neutropenic thigh model  Peritonitis-sepsis model  Systemic sepsis model  Custom models (upon request)  CLSI-based serum bactericidal effect (for some models)

ImQuest's MicroSENS program facilitates the rapid screening of novel antimicrobial agents using established in vitro assays and the evaluation of active compounds in well-defined or customized animal models of infection. In Vitro Antimicrobial Evaluations  CLSI broth-based microdilution for MIC and MBC determination  Kill-curve analysis  Analysis of bactericidal versus bacteriostatic activity  Post-antibiotic effect evaluation  Inhibition of biofilm development and disruption  Persister cell assays  Minimal biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC)  Combination antimicrobial evaluations  Resistance selection and characterization  Mechanism of action studies  β-lactamase assays

ImQuest BioSciences offers a panel of in vitro assays to evaluate the cyto-toxicity and mechanism of cytotoxicity of potential pharmaceutical prod-ucts. In vitro cytotoxicity assays are used to predict the toxicity of com-pounds as well as to identify potential safety and development problems prior to in vivo safety and toxicology evaluations. To assess the effects of test compounds on cell viability, cell proliferation and macromolecule synthesis, ImQuest’s cytotoxicity evaluations are per-formed with a number of human immune system cell types and cell types representative of the major functional organ systems. Examples of these cell types include: peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), mono-cyte-macrophages, dendritic cells, bone marrow progenitor cells, primary hepatocytes, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) cardiomyocytes, iPS neu-rons and renal proximal tubule cells (RPTEC).

Mechanism of cytotoxicity assays are used to evaluate the effect of test compounds on the cell cycle, mitochondrial respiration and function, apoptosis, membrane integrity and oxidative stress.

ImQuest BioSciences provides full service laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation for both molecular cloning and gene expression analysis. Our expert staff has years of experience in the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, virology and microbiology and are capable of handling both routine tasks and custom research and development projects in order to provide a broad range of core molecular biology services, including:

Virus production and genotypic characterization
Sequencing and identification of antimicrobial target genes
Quantitative real time PCR
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) detection
Cloning and sequencing of recombinant plasmids
Gene expression analysis
Recombinant protein expression and purification
Protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions
Microbial resistance characterization
Novel target identification and assay development
Analysis of pathogen-host interactions

• Antigen specific ELISAs
  
• ELISA method development, GLP validation and transfer
  
• ELISA kit validation
  

BD FACS Canto II with 8 parameters available. Contact us for custom assay development or for running pre-processed samples.

Tissue Culture, Cellular Biology and Repository Services
Utilizing over 20 years of in vitro cell and tissue culture experience, ImQuest BioSciences provides technical services in the following areas:

Preparation and maintenance of cell lines or primary cell cultures
Organ cultures
Virus stock production
Bacteria stock production
Cell and virus repository
Baculovirus expression systems
Procaryotic expression systems
Immunofluorescent microscopy

The development of technical documents, manuscripts and business plans to share at Scientific Advisory Board meetings or for presentation to investors or venture capital firms in support of your fund raising efforts

ImQuest BioSciences has successfully competed for grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award programs (Phase 1 and Phase 2 grants), as well as other targeted funding opportunities. To date, our grants have generated nearly $40 million in funding to support product development for our clients and partners.

We understand that no matter how good the research idea or product, the preparation of the grant is the key to success. Thus, ImQuest BioSciences grant writers will work with you to develop the best documents necessary by understanding your preliminary data, developing testable hypotheses, and defining the appropriate research plan. Our goal is to be sure that your company obtains the necessary and available funds to support the development of your project in an environment where the competition for federal funds has become increasingly fierce.

Customized cell line systems, as well as validated antiviral, antimicrobial and anticancer assays are available. Contact us to learn more.