Aboutassay.works

Assay.Works is a contract research organization (CRO) that specializes in providing research services for drug discovery programs. The company builds on a 16-year legacy of experience in High-Throughput Screening (HTS) and assay development from a leading bio-pharmaceutical company's HTS center in Germany.

During the tenure at the previous HTS center, Assay.Works scientists developed and implemented over 250 screens across all major drug target classes, generating more than 100 million data sets. This extensive experience has positioned us as experts in assay development, screening, and quantitative biology services for drug discovery programs targeting therapeutic areas with high medical needs.

The company's mission is to accelerate their partners' research programs by developing and executing predictive and scalable assays to quantify the bioactivity of novel chemical and biological entities. Assay.Works offers a comprehensive range of services, including:

  • Assay development for biochemical and cell-based assays
  • High-throughput screening (HTS) campaigns
  • Hit identification and lead optimization
  • Compound profiling activities within the hit-to-lead process
  • Phenotypic and functional approaches to screening

Our fully automated HTS stations provide diverse readout capabilities, including fluorescence, luminescence, and microscopic screenings. Additionally, we offer biophysical and radiometric assays through collaborative partnerships.

Assay.Works can work with client-specific compound libraries or utilize our own modular diversity collections totaling 150,000 small molecules. This flexibility allows us to cater to the specific needs of our pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic partners.

By combining scientific rigor with domain expertise in laboratory automation, informatics, and industry best practices, Assay.Works aims to turn challenging assays into quantitative, reproducible results. Our services are designed to support drug discovery programs across various stages, from early-stage hit identification to lead optimization, ultimately contributing to the development of innovative treatments across various therapeutic areas.

Dr. Ralf Schwandner

Founder and CEO

Biologist and seasoned Lead Discovery specialist with 20+ years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Prior to founding Assay.Works, he served as head of Amgen‘s HTS center of excellence at Regensburg, Germany (Amgen Research GmbH).

Dr. Johannes Knop

Founder and COO

Biochemist with 20+ years of industry experience in Lead Discovery. Most recently, he was head of Research Operations at Amgen Research GmbH, where he managed Sample Management, cell-based Lead Profiling, Cell Production, Informatics, and EH&S.

Further Reading