Lipid-based Protein Immobilization

Creative BioMart’s Lipid-based Protein Immobilization (LiPi™) platform provides a cutting-edge solution for stabilizing and analyzing native membrane proteins in their physiological environment. Developed in collaboration with leading pharmaceutical and academic partners, LiPi™ enables direct immobilization of membrane proteins as proteoliposomes derived from cells or tissues. This innovative technology maintains the natural lipid microenvironment and allows controlled sample handling for downstream applications such as ligand binding, quantitative proteomics, and epitope mapping—ensuring accuracy, reproducibility, and biological relevance in every analysis.

Background: What Is LiPi™ Technology

Membrane proteins represent more than half of current drug targets, yet their inherent instability outside the lipid bilayer has long hindered functional and structural studies. Traditional purification and immobilization methods often strip away essential lipids, disrupt conformational integrity, and result in partial or complete loss of biological activity.

Creative BioMart’s LiPi™ (Lipid-based Protein Immobilization) Technology provides a next-generation solution to these challenges. This proprietary platform combines biomimetic lipid surfaces with optimized solubilization and stabilization chemistries to recreate a near-native environment for membrane proteins during isolation, immobilization, and downstream analysis. By preserving key lipid–protein interactions, LiPi™ maintains both the structural fidelity and dynamic behavior of integral membrane proteins.

Our LiPi™-enabled workflows allow direct functional assays and structural evaluations without the need for harsh detergents or extensive refolding steps. This approach enables accurate functional characterization and supports advanced analytical workflows, including mass spectrometry (MS), epitope identification, and sequencing studies.

What Our LiPi™ Platform Deliver

Creative BioMart provides a comprehensive suite of Lipid-based Protein Immobilization services using our LiPi™ FlowCell system and complementary formats under development.

How It Works

At the heart of LiPi™ is a proprietary lipid-coated surface that mimics the natural cell membrane. During sample preparation, native membrane fragments or purified membranes from cells or tissues are integrated into this surface, forming proteoliposomes—lipid vesicles that encapsulate functional membrane proteins. These proteoliposomes are gently immobilized on LiPi™ substrates under controlled physicochemical conditions that preserve essential lipid–protein and protein–protein interactions.

Service Workflow

Our Offerings

Our offerings include:

• Proteoliposome-based immobilization directly from cells or tissues
• Functional assay support for ligand binding and activation studies
• Epitope mapping and antigen characterization
• Quantitative proteomics and absolute protein quantification
• Protein sequencing using multi-step digestion workflows
• Membrane protein profiling for complex biological samples

Each project is fully customizable to match specific research or discovery needs, from basic characterization to advanced bioanalytical applications.

Why Choose LiPi™ for Protein Immobilization

Proprietary LiPi™ Technology: Unique in-house platform designed for immobilizing membrane proteins in their native lipid environment.

Proven Expertise: Extensive experience in membrane proteomics and sample preparation for MS-based studies.

High-Quality Data: Optimized workflows ensure accurate and reproducible analytical outcomes.

Comprehensive Capabilities: State-of-the-art mass spectrometry facilities and advanced bioinformatics pipelines.

Customizable Solutions: Tailored service options for ligand binding, proteomics, sequencing, and profiling applications.

Collaborative Approach: Proven success in partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies and academic research institutions.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Case 1: Ligand binding analysis of GPCRs using LiPi™ FlowCell

We were approached by a global pharmaceutical client to immobilize a Class A GPCR target for ligand-binding and kinetic screening. Using the proprietary LiPi™ FlowCell, proteoliposomes containing the receptor were generated directly from mammalian cell membranes, retaining the native lipid microenvironment. Unlike detergent-solubilized preparations, the LiPi™-immobilized receptors demonstrated stable binding behavior and preserved activity throughout extended assay cycles. This allowed precise determination of binding kinetics ( K_D and B_max ) using surface-based interaction studies. The resulting dataset not only supported identification of multiple high-affinity candidate ligands, but also offered valuable insights into structure–activity relationships that guided subsequent medicinal chemistry optimization.

Case 2: Quantitative proteomics of transporter proteins in liver tissue

An academic consortium specializing in metabolic disease research collaborated with us to quantify membrane-bound transporter proteins from human liver tissue samples. Traditional detergent-based extractions had resulted in low yields and inconsistent recovery. By implementing the LiPi™ lipid-based immobilization workflow, membrane fragments were converted into proteoliposomes that preserved key lipid–protein interactions, enabling efficient tryptic digestion and downstream LC-MS/MS analysis. The optimized approach led to a 40% increase in peptide recovery and significantly improved detection of low-abundance transporters. The high-resolution quantitative data produced through LiPi™ empowered the research team to map transporter expression patterns across disease states with unprecedented reproducibility and confidence.

What Our Clients Say About Our Lipid-based Protein Immobilization Service

"Our team collaborated with Creative BioMart to immobilize GPCR targets for ligand-binding kinetics analysis using their LiPi™ FlowCell platform. The proteoliposomes maintained native conformation and activity throughout the study, giving us reliable real-time binding data that was impossible to achieve with detergent-solubilized receptors. Their scientists demonstrated deep expertise in maintaining membrane integrity and optimizing assay conditions, which directly accelerated our hit validation process."

— Director of Receptor Pharmacology | Global Pharmaceutical Company

"We engaged Creative BioMart to support a large-scale quantitative proteomics project focused on transporter proteins in hepatic tissue. Their lipid-based immobilization technology significantly improved signal stability and quantification accuracy in our mass spectrometry workflows. The preserved lipid–protein interactions led to far higher coverage of our target membrane proteins. Their bioinformatics team also provided a comprehensive report that integrated seamlessly with our internal data pipeline."

— Lead Scientist, Proteomics Core | National Research Institute

"Our immunology division partnered with Creative BioMart to map epitopes on a transmembrane antigen for therapeutic antibody development. The LiPi™ immobilization approach preserved the native antigenic structure, allowing accurate identification of conformational epitopes that traditional detergent-based preparations failed to detect. The resulting data guided the selection of our lead antibody candidate. We were particularly impressed by their technical support and deep understanding of membrane biology."

— Head of Antibody Discovery | Biotechnology Company

"Creative BioMart’s LiPi™ platform played a crucial role in our structural biology project involving a multi-pass transporter. Their multi-step digestion workflow on lipid-immobilized proteins enabled complete sequence coverage and identification of post-translational modifications that had eluded previous analyses. The combination of precise sample handling and powerful MS data interpretation saved us months of troubleshooting."

— Principal Investigator, Structural Biology | Academic Research Center

FAQs About LiPi™ Technology

• Q: What is LiPi™ technology and how does it work?

  A: LiPi™ (Lipid-based Protein Immobilization) is our proprietary technology for immobilizing native membrane proteins as proteoliposomes directly from cells or tissues. The process uses specialized lipid surfaces and optimized preparation protocols to preserve the natural lipid–protein environment, maintaining biological activity for functional, structural, and analytical studies.

• Q: What advantages does LiPi™ offer over traditional immobilization or detergent-based methods?

  A: Unlike conventional techniques that can denature or destabilize membrane proteins, LiPi™ keeps proteins in their native lipid bilayer, ensuring structural integrity and true-to-nature functionality. This leads to higher binding accuracy, improved MS signal stability, and better reproducibility across assays such as ligand binding, sequencing, and proteomics.

• Q: What types of membrane proteins can be analyzed using LiPi™ technology?

  A: LiPi™ is compatible with a wide range of membrane-associated targets, including GPCRs, ion channels, transporters, and multi-pass transmembrane proteins. The technology has been successfully applied in both pharmaceutical discovery and academic structural biology for functional characterization and epitope mapping.

• Q: How do you ensure the quality and reproducibility of LiPi™-based results?

  A: Each immobilization project is performed under strictly controlled conditions using validated protocols. Every preparation undergoes functional validation—such as ligand binding or activity assays—to confirm proper protein orientation and integrity. Our in-house bioinformatics team also performs rigorous data verification to ensure consistent, high-confidence results.

• Q: Can LiPi™ technology be customized for specific research needs?

  A: Yes. We offer fully customizable LiPi™ services to accommodate unique protein types, assay formats, and analytical goals. Clients can specify expression systems, detergent preferences, surface formats, and downstream workflows such as mass spectrometry, antibody screening, or sequencing.

• Q: What analytical capabilities support your LiPi™ platform?

  A: Our LiPi™ service is backed by a state-of-the-art mass spectrometry facility, advanced bioinformatics analysis, and an in-house developed protein annotation database. This integrated capability ensures accurate protein identification, quantification, and annotation—especially for complex membrane protein systems.

• Q: Is the LiPi™ technology suitable for large-scale or long-term projects?

  A: Absolutely. We routinely support high-throughput screening, multi-target proteomics, and long-term structural biology programs. Our scalable workflows and consistent production standards make LiPi™ suitable for both discovery-stage research and industrial applications.