Nuclera launches GPCR-focused nanodisc panel to streamline membrane protein production

Nuclera, the biotechnology company enabling rapid access to high-quality proteins, today announced the launch of its nanodisc panel to support screening and scale-up of G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs). Building on the eProtein Discovery^™ membrane protein workflow capabilities, the nanodisc panel allows membrane protein scientists focusing on GPCR research to identify optimal membrane environments and increase production of challenging therapeutic targets, GPCRs, producing active proteins in 48 hours.

Nuclera's nanodisc panel includes a GPCR screen kit and scale-up reagents, including 8 nanodisc combinations, comprised of 2 membrane scaffold proteins (MSPs), and 4 lipid compositions. Allowing researchers to rapidly and cost-effectively express active GPCRs, the nanodisc panel minimizes variability associated with traditional approaches to membrane protein production. The preassembled nanodiscs target the specific charge, fluidity and/or cholesterol requirements for GPCR activity and yield.

Despite one third of FDA-approved drugs acting on GPCRs, obtaining purified, stable, functional GPCRs remains a critical bottleneck in pharmacology and drug discovery. Traditionally, cell-based detergent micelles are used to solubilize membrane proteins, but often lead to proteins adopting non-native conformations. Nanodiscs provide a soluble membrane bilayer allowing the study of membrane proteins and their interactions under native-like conditions better maintaining structural integrity and in vivo functionality compared to detergent-based approaches.

Integrating Nuclera's pre-assembled nanodiscs directly into eProtein Discovery's cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) approach enables co-translational insertion of the nascent protein. This delivers high yields of soluble, active membrane protein with improved stability for downstream applications and streamlines drug discovery workflows from screening to characterization.

Since releasing our membrane protein workflow in 2025, we have identified a huge potential in the market to support GPCR protein scientists. Our eProtein Discovery^™ nanodisc panel empowers researchers to explore physiologically relevant environments validated for solubility, insertion and stabilization of membrane proteins. Compared to traditional approaches, these are capable of increasing protein yield whilst maintaining functionality, creating a fast-track route to purified, active GPCRs."

Dr. Audrey Dubourg, Product Manager, Nuclera 

Dr. Michael Chen, CEO and co-founder, Nuclera, commented: "The release of our GPCR nanodisc panel addresses the pressure scientists face to rapidly produce functional membrane proteins. Integrated with eProtein Discovery, this capability equips researchers with a powerful approach to increase success rates in expressing active GPCRs."