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Tanso Biosciences provides contract research services centered on functional assays for G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Offerings include single-target concentration-response analysis (agonist and antagonist), multi-target panel assays, off-target and safety profiling, orphan-GPCR screening, and fully custom assay development. The platform is validated across 550 receptors (300 human and 250 mouse).

We provide validated assays for 300 human and 250 mouse GPCRs, including 94 human and 63 mouse orphan receptors. The platform supports all four Gα subtypes (Gs, Gi/o, Gq/11, and G12/13) under a single unified protocol, so receptors that are difficult on conventional platforms—including Gi/o- and G12/13-coupled and orphan receptors—are covered. The full list is in our GPCR Catalog.

Yes. Receptors outside the current catalog can be added through custom assay development, and the system is expandable to orthologs from additional species. Please describe your target in the inquiry form and we will propose a plan.

Yes. Both modes are supported: agonist-mode assays return EC50 values and antagonist-mode assays return IC50 values, each with concentration-response curves. Validation data for both modes (e.g., AGTR1 with angiotensin II and with valsartan) are published on our Technology page.

Several panel formats are available: FlexPanel48 (a flexible 48-target panel), FlexPanel48 Therapeutic Area Panels (curated 48-receptor sets by disease area), Large-Scale Panels (screening up to 294 human GPCRs), and Safety Panels (off-target liability profiling). All panels can be customized to your target list.

Use a single-target concentration-response assay when you need detailed potency data on a known target, and a panel when you need breadth—selectivity, off-target, or safety profiling across many receptors. Large-Scale Panels suit unbiased screening; Therapeutic Area and Safety Panels suit focused profiling.

Ordering follows four steps:

1. tell us about your study goals and request a quote,
2. approve the quote and ship your compounds to our lab,
3. we run the study to the agreed design, and
4. you receive the report and raw data.

We respond to inquiries within 24 hours.

Typical turnaround is as short as three weeks, depending on study scale, design, and current scheduling. We keep you informed of progress and notify you of any unforeseen delays.

Submit the inquiry form in this page with your target(s), assay mode, and study goals. We reply within 24 hours and can sign an NDA before detailed discussion.

Compounds are shipped to our Tokyo laboratory under DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) terms. We provide shipping guidance during quotation.

Payment is accepted by bank transfer. 

Yes. We are happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement on request before reviewing your project, to protect confidential compound and target information.

You receive a comprehensive study report in PDF together with the raw data in Excel format. Our team is available to answer questions and support data interpretation. Sample reports for a concentration-response study and a large-scale panel study are available above.

Human and mouse assays are validated (300 and 250 receptors respectively). The system is expandable to other species, and we have supported assays involving rat, rabbit, dog, and cynomolgus macaque receptors for cross-species and translational studies.

Unlike conventional functional assays—such as calcium or cAMP assays, each of which reads out only a specific signaling branch—Tanso's platform measures every GPCR in a single, unified assay format regardless of its Gα-subtype coupling (Gs, Gi/o, Gq/11, or G12/13). It also differs fundamentally from binding assays: a binding assay measures only affinity—whether a compound occupies the receptor—whereas our functional assay measures potency on the receptor's actual G-protein signaling, distinguishing agonists, antagonists, and inactive binders, and avoiding the false positives and false negatives to which binding assays are prone.

The platform combines an engineered signal-amplifying reporter cell system with an all-around Gα cocktail and a 550-receptor library. This is what enables single-format coverage of hard-to-assay Gi/o-, G12/13-coupled, and orphan receptors at high sensitivity (>100-fold signal-to-background in many receptors)—the core differentiator versus platforms limited to specific signaling branches.

Yes. The core platform is protected by patents granted in Japan and the US (WO/2020/026979, pending in Europe), validated against 99% of tested non-orphan GPCRs (208/210), benchmarked against IUPHAR reference values across 116 receptors, and applied in peer-reviewed research (Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2025;222:112094).

We serve pharmaceutical and biotech companies, food companies, and academic groups worldwide. A large share of our clients return for repeat studies—the clearest signal of their satisfaction with our data.