Our Core platform Technology: LEAP-RBP™

LEAP-RBP™ (Liquid-Emulsion-Assisted-Purification of RNA-Bound Protein) is Ribolytix’s patented, foundational technology for quantifying endogenous RNA–protein interactions in cells under physiologically relevant conditions.

Cells are treated and UV-crosslinked in situ to preserve native RNA–protein interactions for meaningful assessment of target engagement. RNA-bound proteins are then selectively isolated and enriched relative to free background using a patented liquid-chemistry approach, and quantified by immunoassay (RBP-TE™) or high-resolution mass spectrometry (RBP-SP™).

Importantly, LEAP-RBP™ operates on endogenous proteins and RNAs—without tags, overexpression systems, or engineered reporters—and directly quantifies engagement through RNA–protein interaction state rather than inferring binding from stability shifts.

Why It Matters

Rather than relying on thermal denaturation profiling to infer protein stability changes, LEAP-RBP™ directly measures how compounds perturb RNA-binding protein interactions with RNA inside living cells—providing mechanism-coupled engagement readouts aligned with RBP target biology.

Our workflows can be summarized in four steps:

  1. Live-Cell Treatment & UV Crosslinking: Preserve native RNA–protein interactions for meaningful assessment of target engagement.

  2. Selective Isolation: Enriches RNA-bound proteins (engagement readout) by orders of magnitude relative to free background, using a patented liquid chemistry approach.

  3. Quantitative Detection: RNA-bound proteins are analyzed by immunoassay or high-resolution mass spectrometry.

  4. Data Analysis: Engagement metrics and selectivity profiles are derived to support compound prioritization and early discovery decision points.

The Ribolytix platform at a glance

Native Biology

Measures target engagement in intact cells under native conditions, supporting translational relevance and reducing artifacts associated with cell-free or overexpression systems.

Label and tag-free

Quantifies native, endogenous targets without engineered tags, fluorescent labels, or protein overexpression that can distort biology and generate false positives.

No Stability Assumptions

Directly quantifies target engagement via RNA–protein interaction state rather than inferring binding from stability shifts, providing mechanism-coupled readouts relevant to RBP target biology.

Intellectual Property​

Ribolytix was founded to develop and commercialize LEAP-RBP™ (Liquid-Emulsion-Assisted Purification of RNA-Bound Protein). The LEAP-RBP™ method was first described in the following peer-reviewed study:

Kristofich, J. & Nicchitta, C. V.
Signal-noise metrics for RNA binding protein identification reveal broad-spectrum protein–RNA interaction frequencies and dynamics.
Nature Communications 14, 5868 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41284-9