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The Power of High-Throughput Screening (HTS):Driving Smarter Drug Discovery

The Power of High-Throughput Screening (HTS):Driving Smarter Drug Discovery

In modern drug discovery, speed and precision are not optional — they are survival tools. With timelines compressed, competition fierce, and investment dollars under scrutiny, biotech startups and pharmaceutical giants alike must quickly identify promising leads while minimizing wasted effort. High-throughput screening (HTS) continues to drive discovery by enabling researchers to evaluate thousands of compounds in days instead of months.

At Southern Research, HTS is not simply about scale or automation. It’s about pairing advanced technology with scientific depth, infectious disease expertise, and a culture of collaboration. For decades, we have helped sponsors navigate the complexity of discovery, from early target validation to advancing lead candidates into development. Our HTS offering reflects this legacy — designed to help sponsors generate data that is fast, reliable, and directly actionable.

What Makes Southern Research’s HTS Approach Different?

Infectious Disease Expertise and BSL-3 Capabilities

Few organizations have the infrastructure to conduct high-throughput screening against high-risk pathogens. As a result, infectious disease discovery programs often place cell-based readouts using live virus as a secondary assay, delaying the delivery of data necessary to inform optimization. In contrast, Southern Research operates fully equipped BSL-3 laboratories that allow sponsors to safely test antivirals, vaccines, and countermeasures under rigorous biosafety conditions. This is critical for companies advancing programs for priority pathogens such as influenza and other priority pathogens where speed, safety, and scientific credibility cannot be compromised.   

Custom Assay Development and Optimization

Screening assays are only valuable if they capture the biology of interest. We design them around each program’s molecular targets and disease models rather than relying on default screening formats. Our scientists collaborate directly with clients to:

  • Develop and miniaturize assays around novel targets
  • Validate and optimize screening conditions for reproducibility
  • Adapt workflows for unique compound libraries or biologics
  • Integrate with in silico workflows for virtual hit confirmation

The result is HTS data that is not generic but tied tightly to the mechanisms and therapeutic areas that matter most to the sponsor.

Rapid Execution, Reliable Results

Turnaround times in drug discovery can determine whether a program advances or stalls. Southern Research has optimized its HTS workflows to deliver results quickly while maintaining reproducibility, statistical validity, and data integrity. Our teams design studies with regulatory, investor, and R&D scrutiny in mind, ensuring data that is both timely and decision-ready

Integrated Discovery Support

At Southern Research, HTS is designed to launch sponsors into the next phases of discovery, with integrated capabilities that shorten the path from hits to clinical candidates.

  • Hit-to-lead optimization: Prioritizing compounds with the best balance of potency, selectivity, and safety.
  • Target validation: Confirming biological pathways with follow-on assays.
  • Infectious disease models: Leveraging our in-house BSL-3 and translational capabilities to validate activity in relevant systems.
  • Preclinical development: Connecting discovery data to the toxicology, pharmacology, and IND-enabling studies required to advance to clinic.

Our integrated model ensures findings are carried forward without gaps, enabling faster, more reliable transitions from discovery to development.

Data Security and Compliance

Southern Research protects sponsor data with secure systems that ensure confidentiality and full traceability of results. Our HTS outputs are delivered in a form that sponsors can rely on for decision-making and withstand internal or external review.

Real-World Applications

Our HTS platforms are versatile across therapeutic areas and scientific challenges:

  • Small-molecule drug discovery: Rapid screening of diverse libraries to identify first-in-class candidates.
  • Biologics evaluation: Adapting assays for antibodies, peptides, and novel biologics.
  • Vaccine development: Screening immune-modulating compounds or viral antigens with BSL-3 safety.
  • Oncology pipelines: Identifying compounds active against tumor-specific pathways or resistance mechanisms.
  • Immunology and infectious disease: Identifying compounds that impart the desired phenotypic and cellular response.

Each project blends scalable technology with scientists experienced across HTS, target biology, and translational models.

A Partner in Discovery Decisions HTS informs decision-making when it produces insights, not just data. At Southern Research, we work with sponsors to uncover risks early, bypass downstream obstacles, and design the next studies with clarity. Our experience across discovery and preclinical development means results are delivered in a form that supports regulatory expectations, investor scrutiny, and clinical planning. Sponsors gain more than a screening service — they gain a partner committed to data that moves programs forward.