Insider Brief
- High Q Technologies is using a quantum-enabled electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) platform to help accelerate drug discovery for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders by mapping protein motion in greater detail.
- The company’s Fathom system uses quantum sensors to capture multiple protein configurations simultaneously, providing researchers with a more complete view of how proteins behave and interact with potential drug candidates.
- High Q has partnered with contract research organization Creative Biostructure to expand global access to the technology, with support from Canadian government programs, Quantum Valley Investments and the University of Waterloo’s Transformative Quantum Technologies accelerator.
- Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash
An Ontario startup is deploying quantum sensing technology to help pharmaceutical researchers better understand how proteins move, something the company says could shorten drug discovery timelines for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
High Q Technologies has developed a quantum-enabled electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy platform called Fathom that measures the motion of proteins in greater detail than many conventional structural biology techniques, according to medical news site MedPath. The company said the approach could help researchers identify and evaluate drug candidates more efficiently by providing a more complete picture of how proteins change shape as they interact with potential therapies.
The technology targets one of the longstanding challenges in drug discovery. Proteins are not fixed structures, but constantly bend, twist and shift between different shapes as they carry out biological functions. Many drugs work by altering those movements, making it important for researchers to understand the full range of protein behavior rather than a single static structure.
According to MedPath, High Q was founded in 2013 by biomedical researchers and drug developers at the University of Waterloo and has focused on applying quantum sensing techniques to structural biology.
Measuring Proteins in Motion
Fathom uses electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, a technique that detects the magnetic properties of unpaired electrons within proteins. By incorporating quantum sensors, the system is designed to capture multiple protein configurations simultaneously instead of emphasizing only the most common structure.
Traditional methods such as X-ray crystallography and some other structural biology tools have transformed researchers’ understanding of proteins but often provide snapshots of stable configurations. According to MedPath, High Q‘s EPR spectroscopy complements those approaches by revealing the dynamic motions that occur naturally in living systems.
The company believes that broader view could improve how scientists evaluate whether experimental drug molecules interact with their intended biological targets.
Beyond studying protein motion itself, High Q said the platform can also be used to screen biological samples before they are analyzed with conventional structural biology instruments. That additional quality-control step could reduce unnecessary experiments and lower development costs during early-stage pharmaceutical research.
The company says the technology has the potential to reduce both the time and resources required during portions of the drug discovery process, particularly for diseases where identifying effective drug candidates has proven difficult.
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s remain among the most difficult areas of drug development. Many experimental treatments have failed in late-stage clinical testing despite promising early laboratory results, increasing interest in technologies that can provide more detailed biological insight earlier in the discovery process.
Partnership Expands Global Access
To broaden adoption of the technology, High Q recently announced a partnership with Creative Biostructure, a contract research organization based in Shirley, New York.
According to MedPath, the collaboration is intended to make the Fathom platform available to a wider range of pharmaceutical companies and academic laboratories. Creative Biostructure serves more than 3,000 customers across 60 countries and regions, including major pharmaceutical companies and research institutions.
Under the agreement, Creative Biostructure will provide scientific consulting, experimental design assistance and workflow support for organizations using High Q‘s EPR platform.
The partnership reflects a growing effort to move quantum technologies beyond laboratory demonstrations and into commercial research environments where they can support existing drug development workflows.
High Q’s development efforts have received support from the Canadian government, Waterloo-based venture capital firm Quantum Valley Investments and the University of Waterloo’s Transformative Quantum Technologies accelerator, according to MedPath.
