Where speed meets precision in drug discovery

We help pharmaceutical and biotech teams validate promising drug candidates faster, with real-time, cell-based screening built around your target.

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Fluorescence imaging of live cells used in LIPS screening

About Us

Bridging computational design and biological reality

BrightMol Biotech is an academic spin-off from the University of Trento, founded in 2025 to accelerate early-stage drug discovery. We bridge the gap between computational drug design and biological validation through our proprietary LIPS technology, enabling real-time monitoring of target proteins inside living cells.

By providing faster, more informative, and cost-effective cell-based assays, we help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies identify promising drug candidates earlier, reduce development risk, and make better R&D decisions. Our long-term vision is to transform biological validation into a faster, smarter, and more predictive process - accelerating the development of new therapies for patients worldwide.

Our Technology

LIPS: Light Identification of Protein Suppressors

LIPS is a novel phenotypic screening platform that rapidly identifies bioactive molecules capable of modulating the stability and expression levels of specific target proteins, directly within their native intracellular environment.

By shifting from static endpoint measurements to real-time monitoring and multiparametric readouts, LIPS lets pharma R&D teams make earlier, more robust, and highly informed go/no-go decisions.

4x Increased speed
2-4 weeks vs. 2-4 months

50% Cost reduction
$1,000-$2,000 per validated hit

Service Feature	Traditional CROs	BrightMol Biotech (LIPS)
Screening timelines	2-4 months	2-4 weeks
Average cost per hit	$2,000-$4,000	$1,000-$2,000
Assay methodology	Static endpoint assays	Real-time protein monitoring
Readout type	Single-point readout	Advanced multiparametric readout
Biological relevance	Low-medium (artificial systems)	High (native cellular context)

What We Do

Service packages for the pharmaceutical industry

Four project types, each designed to plug into a different stage of your discovery pipeline - from first screen to lead optimization.

Hit Identification & Target Screening

Accelerated discovery and identification of novel bioactive molecules

Automated multi-well plate screening illustration

High Content Screening (HCS): automated multiparametric screening for synthetic compound libraries and complex natural product extracts
CRISPR screening / genetic modulators to decipher target interactions with protein stability pathways
Customized screening campaigns designed around your specific target of interest

Drug Candidate Validation & Custom Assays

Functional validation and high-fidelity biological contextualization of your leads

Close-up of a cell and its target protein illustration

Custom cell-based assays: in-house engineering of cell lines tailored to monitor real-time protein degradation or stabilization
High-fidelity validation of drug candidates in advanced cell-based assays
Dose-response activity evaluation to calculate the EC₅₀ of active compounds

MoA Studies & Hit-to-Lead Optimization

Deep pharmacodynamic insights and molecular refinement

Assay plates with a dose-response curve and validation shield illustration

Characterization of cell signaling pathways and interaction kinetics with the target protein
Hit-to-lead optimization: iterative biological and analytical support to develop analogs with improved potency and selectivity

Early Preliminary Toxicity Assays

Timely pipeline de-risking to prevent late-stage developmental failures

DNA strand with gene-editing scissors illustration

Preliminary in vitro cytotoxicity assessment across healthy human cell lines
Monitoring of compound-induced phenotypic alterations and cellular stress via High Content Imaging
Early toxicity metrics for preliminary LD₅₀ calculation in cell models

Our People

Meet the team behind BrightMol

Ilaria Zeni, PhD

Co-founder, CEO & Scientific Lead

Bio

Pharmacist and PhD in Biomolecular Sciences (University of Trento, CIBIO). Researcher in the Prions & Amyloids Lab and co-inventor of the LIPS technology, focused on drug discovery for neurodegenerative disease.

Nicole Innocenti, PhD

Co-founder, Scientific Board

Bio

PhD in Biomolecular Sciences (University of Trento) with a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from UCC Ireland. Specializes in organic synthesis, analytical chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Dino Gasparotto

Co-founder, Scientific Board

Bio

Master's in Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology (University of Trento).Currently a PhD candidate developing a LIPS-based assay targeting alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease and a bioinformatic analysis of protein modifications.

Emiliano Biasini, PhD

Co-founder, Chair of Scientific Board

Bio

Associate Professor at the University of Trento, leading the Dulbecco Telethon Lab of Prions and Amyloids. Co-inventor of the LIPS technology and co-founder/CEO of Sibylla Biotech, with 60+ publications and 5 patents.

Alessandro Tait

Co-founder, CFO

Bio

Master's in Management (University of Trento). Seven+ years in finance, spanning portfolio analysis, risk assessment and financial modelling across credit, corporate finance and reinsurance.

Let's build your next validation study

We're actively partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies on collaborative research and co-development projects, and we work with teams looking to integrate LIPS directly into their discovery programs. Reach out to discuss your target.

info@brightmol.com