CURI Advanced Expertise
Discover our expertise
Omics Analysis
Characterization of Pharmaceutical Compounds
Big Data Management
Support in Technology Development
Omics Analysis
CURI provides the following analytical and data analysis expertise for omics sciences:
Proteomics
Proteomics is the study of the proteome — the complete set of proteins produced or modified by a biological system. Expressed proteins may vary over time and in response to different conditions.
Applications include disease research and diagnosis, drug development, agriculture, food science, and environmental monitoring.
The CURI platform includes LC-MS systems for proteomic analysis and can provide quantitative data on target proteins. CURI also develops innovative bioinformatics tools for data analysis, and customized analytical methods can be developed upon request.
The CURI platform includes LC-MS systems for proteomic analysis and can provide quantitative data on target proteins. CURI also develops innovative bioinformatics tools for data analysis, and customized analytical methods can be developed upon request.
Metabolomics
Metabolomics is an “omics” science similar to genomics and proteomics, but it focuses on the final products of cellular activity rather than genes or proteins. Metabolites include a wide range of molecules such as sugars, amino acids, lipids, and organic acids.
Metabolomics provides a snapshot of an organism’s physiological state at a given time, reflecting genetic, environmental, and lifestyle influences.
Applications include disease research and diagnosis, drug development, agriculture, food science, and environmental studies
The CURI platform includes instruments for untargeted, semi-targeted, and targeted metabolomic analyses using GC-MS and LC-MS, providing quantitative data on metabolites of interest. CURI also offers expertise in functional metabolomics using labeled tracers and can develop innovative bioinformatics tools for data analysis, including biochemical pathway mapping. Customized analytical methods are available upon request.
The CURI platform includes instruments for untargeted, semi-targeted, and targeted metabolomic analyses using GC-MS and LC-MS, providing quantitative data on metabolites of interest. CURI also offers expertise in functional metabolomics using labeled tracers and can develop innovative bioinformatics tools for data analysis, including biochemical pathway mapping. Customized analytical methods are available upon request.
Lipidomics
Lipidomics involves the large-scale analysis of lipids within cells, tissues, or organisms. Lipids are essential components of the human body, and lipidomics provides insights into both endogenous metabolism and dietary lipid intake that shape tissue structure and function.
The brain and adipose tissue are among the richest in lipids, and variations in their lipidome—due to aging or injury—can influence function, damage risk, and disease.
Although historically considered a branch of metabolomics, lipidomics is now recognized as a distinct discipline due to the specific nature of lipids and the dedicated analytical methods required.
Applications include disease research and diagnosis, drug development, agriculture, food science, and environmental studies.
The CURI platform offers untargeted, semi-targeted, and targeted lipidomic analyses via GC-MS and LC-MS, providing quantitative data on lipids of interest. CURI also offers expertise in functional lipidomics using labeled tracers or alkyne-functionalized fatty acids for post-extraction labeling via click chemistry. High-throughput analysis of oxidized lipids and epilipids is also available. Innovative bioinformatics tools for lipidomic data analysis—including biochemical pathway mapping—can be developed upon request.
The CURI platform offers untargeted, semi-targeted, and targeted lipidomic analyses via GC-MS and LC-MS, providing quantitative data on lipids of interest. CURI also offers expertise in functional lipidomics using labeled tracers or alkyne-functionalized fatty acids for post-extraction labeling via click chemistry. High-throughput analysis of oxidized lipids and epilipids is also available. Innovative bioinformatics tools for lipidomic data analysis—including biochemical pathway mapping—can be developed upon request.
Exposomics
The concept of the exposome was introduced in 2005 by epidemiologist Christopher Wild to describe “the totality of environmental (non-genetic) exposures an individual experiences from conception onward.” Exposomics—the study of the exposome—has become an increasingly relevant scientific field, allowing the assessment and monitoring of the effects of environmental exposures on health and ecosystems. Recent applications include epidemiological studies, personalized medicine, occupational and urban exposure assessment, and research on early-life exposure effects.
The CURI platform includes untargeted, semi-targeted, and targeted lipidomic instruments (GC-MS and LC-MS) capable of providing quantitative data on compounds of interest. CURI also develops customized exposure-agent databases, which may include AI-generated metabolites, for more comprehensive and informative research. Innovative bioinformatics tools and customized analytical methods are available upon request.
The CURI platform includes untargeted, semi-targeted, and targeted lipidomic instruments (GC-MS and LC-MS) capable of providing quantitative data on compounds of interest. CURI also develops customized exposure-agent databases, which may include AI-generated metabolites, for more comprehensive and informative research. Innovative bioinformatics tools and customized analytical methods are available upon request.
Characterization of Pharmaceutical Compounds
CURI has extensive expertise in the characterization of pharmaceutical compounds, including physicochemical properties, stability, and purity. It employs state-of-the-art predictive software and experimental tools to determine these properties.
Chemical stability
Chemical stability studies are fundamental to understanding how substances behave over time under varying environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, light, pH, oxygen, etc.). This knowledge is crucial for ensuring the efficacy, safety, and quality of a product throughout its lifecycle.
Chemical stability studies are fundamental to understanding how substances behave over time under varying environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, light, pH, oxygen, etc.). This knowledge is crucial for ensuring the efficacy, safety, and quality of a product throughout its lifecycle.
Chemical stability studies are fundamental to understanding how substances behave over time under varying environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, light, pH, oxygen, etc.). This knowledge is crucial for ensuring the efficacy, safety, and quality of a product throughout its lifecycle.
Metabolic stability
Metabolic stability studies are essential for understanding how quickly and through which pathways a substance is metabolized, primarily in the liver but also in other tissues such as the skin.
Evaluating metabolic stability allows prediction of duration of action, therapeutic efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic behavior (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion—ADME).
CURI offers both metabolic stability testing and “MetID” studies for identifying formed metabolites—crucial for determining whether therapeutic or toxic effects are linked to specific metabolites. This information is particularly valuable during drug discovery to develop safer and more effective compounds. MetID studies are conducted on various matrices (e.g., microsomes, cytosol, S9 fraction, hepatocytes) using an analytical platform employed by leading global pharmaceutical companies. CURI also possesses unique expertise in studying the metabolic degradation of PROTACs (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras).
CURI offers both metabolic stability testing and “MetID” studies for identifying formed metabolites—crucial for determining whether therapeutic or toxic effects are linked to specific metabolites. This information is particularly valuable during drug discovery to develop safer and more effective compounds. MetID studies are conducted on various matrices (e.g., microsomes, cytosol, S9 fraction, hepatocytes) using an analytical platform employed by leading global pharmaceutical companies. CURI also possesses unique expertise in studying the metabolic degradation of PROTACs (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras).
Solubility
Solubility is a property of natural and synthetic compounds that affects many fields. In pharmaceuticals, a poorly soluble active ingredient cannot be effectively absorbed by the body; in the food industry, solubility influences the bioavailability of nutrients, vitamins, additives, and flavorings.
In agriculture, solubility affects the availability of pesticides and fertilizers in soil and water—excessive solubility can lead to leaching, while low solubility can reduce effectiveness.
Highly soluble compounds may also spread rapidly in aquatic environments, increasing ecotoxicological risk.
CURI provides solubility determination services including both kinetic and thermodynamic measurements. Kinetic solubility is relevant in biochemical and pharmaceutical testing (e.g., for cell assays), while thermodynamic solubility serves as the reference parameter in all applications. Solubility can be determined in various buffers, including phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, as well as in FaSSIF and FeSSIF, which mimic fasted and fed intestinal fluids, respectively. CURI also offers optimized analytical methods for determining the solubility of PROTAC compounds (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras).
CURI provides solubility determination services including both kinetic and thermodynamic measurements. Kinetic solubility is relevant in biochemical and pharmaceutical testing (e.g., for cell assays), while thermodynamic solubility serves as the reference parameter in all applications. Solubility can be determined in various buffers, including phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, as well as in FaSSIF and FeSSIF, which mimic fasted and fed intestinal fluids, respectively. CURI also offers optimized analytical methods for determining the solubility of PROTAC compounds (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras).
Lipophilicity
Like solubility, lipophilicity is a fundamental physicochemical parameter for understanding the behavior of natural or synthetic compounds in various applications.
In the pharmaceutical field, lipophilicity influences permeability through cell membranes: overly lipophilic molecules may accumulate in tissues, whereas excessively hydrophilic ones may fail to cross biological barriers.
In the food industry, lipophilicity affects the distribution of compounds among different food components (aqueous or lipid phases) and can influence stability and sensory perception.
In agriculture, lipophilicity determines the penetration ability of pesticides into leaves or pests; well-balanced molecules can act more selectively and efficiently.
Finally, highly lipophilic compounds tend to bioaccumulate in living organisms (e.g., fish), entering the food chain.
CURI provides a service for the determination of lipophilicity (LogP or LogD7.4). In the pharmaceutical field, optimized analytical methods are also available for the determination of lipophilicity in PROTAC (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras) compounds.
CURI provides a service for the determination of lipophilicity (LogP or LogD7.4). In the pharmaceutical field, optimized analytical methods are also available for the determination of lipophilicity in PROTAC (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras) compounds.
Permeability
Permeability through cellular membranes is crucial not only in pharmaceuticals—where low permeability can limit bioavailability even in the presence of good solubility—but also in other fields such as agriculture.
In fact, permeability studies are useful for assessing the systemic absorption of active substances by plants.
CURI provides a permeability determination service using artificial membrane models (PAMPA). This method, developed by Hoffmann-La Roche years ago, is now the standard for high-throughput determination of passive permeability.
CURI provides a permeability determination service using artificial membrane models (PAMPA). This method, developed by Hoffmann-La Roche years ago, is now the standard for high-throughput determination of passive permeability.
Purity
Assessing the purity of a compound is a critical step in both scientific and industrial contexts, as it ensures that the substance meets the quality, safety, and efficacy standards required for its specific use.
Purity determination is essential for evaluating product effectiveness, since impurities can alter the chemical or biological activity of a compound, compromising its therapeutic, nutritional, or industrial value.
Even trace impurities can be toxic or reactive. In pharmaceutical and food applications, they may cause side effects, allergies, or health damage.
In research laboratories, a pure compound is essential to obtain reproducible and comparable results; contaminants make experimental data unreliable. Regulatory authorities (such as EMA, FDA, and EFSA) impose strict limits on impurities in products intended for human, animal, or environmental use—purity is a regulatory requirement. Furthermore, impurities can accelerate compound degradation, reducing shelf life or promoting undesirable reactions. CURI provides compound purity determination services and, upon request, can also perform chemical structure analysis of impurities using AI-based methods.
In research laboratories, a pure compound is essential to obtain reproducible and comparable results; contaminants make experimental data unreliable. Regulatory authorities (such as EMA, FDA, and EFSA) impose strict limits on impurities in products intended for human, animal, or environmental use—purity is a regulatory requirement. Furthermore, impurities can accelerate compound degradation, reducing shelf life or promoting undesirable reactions. CURI provides compound purity determination services and, upon request, can also perform chemical structure analysis of impurities using AI-based methods.
Big Data Management
Efficient management of big data in omics sciences is essential to transform molecular complexity into clinically useful knowledge, accelerating translational research and improving disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Moreover, the integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and open data-sharing systems makes bioinformatics expertise and suitable infrastructures increasingly necessary to fully exploit the potential of omics technologies.
CURI has the expertise to manage large volumes of data and information, including the development of custom software tools.
Support in Technology Development
In many research fields, it is necessary to develop protocols and technologies tailored to specific experimental needs to extract the maximum amount of information.
CURI has the expertise to develop new methods and protocols to support research in innovative areas.
