By Dr Neil Taylor
As antibody therapeutics continue their rapid advance, structural biology is producing unprecedented volumes of data, from Cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, and computational models like AlphaFold3.
Yet a widening gap has emerged. Our ability to generate data is easily outpacing our ability to systematically analyse and integrate it across biologics discovery programs.
The scale and complexity of this challenge are immense – from managing molecular assemblies with tens of thousands of heavy atoms to tracking subtle paratope-epitope interfaces, and maintaining precise sequence-structure relationships across massive antibody variant libraries.
The question many in the field are now asking is: How can biologics teams integrate structural data more efficiently across discovery programs?
Antibody discovery presents distinct computational demands that exceed the capabilities of traditional small molecule software. Generic structure-based tools, often built for enzyme-ligand systems, struggle to scale to the specialised needs of biologics R&D.
Key limitations include:
Without a specialised structural biology platform, scientists are forced into repetitive analysis loops and fragmented workflows, creating friction at every stage of discovery. In biologics, where time-to-clinic directly influences market leadership, inefficiency is costly.
When structural data becomes fully integrated and searchable, the efficiency gains are profound. Proasis customers have demonstrated that systematic structural data management can dramatically accelerate antibody discovery
These outcomes show that integrated structural data isn’t just a productivity improvement – it’s a strategic enabler of discovery velocity.
The biologics era is reshaping what “R&D infrastructure” means. As high-throughput screening, AI-driven design, and computational modelling scale up, the ability to manage, interpret, and reapply structural data becomes a core differentiator.
Fragmented systems lead to:
To remain competitive, organisations advancing antibody therapeutics increasingly need to treat structural data integration as a fundamental operational capability, not a luxury
Platforms purpose-built for biologics data management, like DesertSci’s Proasis, provide unified data environments, scalable analytics, and structured knowledge retention. This empowers cross-functional teams to translate structural insights into better molecules, faster.
The gap between data generation and data utilisation is now the defining challenge for next-generation biologics. True leadership in antibody discovery will hinge on an organisation’s ability to systematically capture, analyse, and reuse structural insights, not just within individual projects, but across the entire institutional knowledge base.
To capitalise on the potential of Cryo-EM, AlphaFold3 and related computational methods as well as LLM tools, biologics research organisations need to adopt platforms capable of managing both scalability and heterogeneity.
This shift from disconnected tools to integrated structural intelligence isn’t just a technological upgrade. It’s the foundation of discovery speed, accuracy, and innovation in the biologics era.
At DesertSci, we’re proud to support the teams building this future – where structural biology becomes not just a science, but a scalable, collaborative capability. Get in touch with us to discuss your organisation’s needs and to arrange a free demonstration of Proasis.
Dr Neil Taylor, founder of DesertSci, is a leading expert in protein structure data systems and structure-based drug design — connect with him on LinkedIn to learn more.
