Binder Pilot
A short, fixed-scope de novo binder discovery program for teams testing a target, validating a hypothesis, or building a first binder data package.
Built for teams running their first, smallest, or most focused binder campaign
Academic labs and postdocs
PIs with a defined target, a grant or core-facility budget, and a publication or data-package goal. The Pilot fits single-target campaigns where the output is a small ranked set of binders plus the sequence and enrichment data to back them up.
Seed or Series-A biotech
Small teams without in-house yeast display, FACS, or NGS that need a binder in hand to support a preclinical hypothesis, an investor milestone, or a partnership conversation. Kickoff to report in a compressed scope.
Industrial biotech and non-pharma
Enzyme, ag-tech, food-tech, biosensing, and materials teams that need binders or affinity reagents for non-therapeutic applications. The Pilot is target-agnostic — we scope to the biology, not the end market.
Student and iGEM teams
University research groups with institutional sponsorship, a clear target structure, and a defined project budget. Same scientific rigor as biopharma engagements, scoped down to fit.
What's included in the Binder Pilot
Included
Not included (available as add-ons or upgrade to Sprint)
Pilot, Sprint, or Custom — pick the scope that fits
The same underlying pipeline, scoped to three sizes. Start small with a Pilot; expand into a Sprint or Custom campaign if the first round shows promise.
Binder Pilot
Single-round, single-algorithm-pair campaign. Smaller design pool, one display round, ranked hits and report.
Best fit: Academic labs, seed biotech, industrial SMBs, student research groups.
AI Binder Sprint
Multi-algorithm campaign (RFdiffusion + BindCraft + Boltzgen), larger design pool, milestone check-ins over 6-8 weeks, 100% binder guarantee.
Best fit: R&D teams building a binder pipeline, timeline-constrained programs, partnership data packages.
Learn more →Custom campaign
Multi-round binder discovery, affinity maturation, deep mutational scanning, directed evolution, or CRISPR cell engineering combined into a bespoke program.
Best fit: Pharma programs, multi-target pipelines, difficult biology (membrane proteins, conformational epitopes, enzyme engineering).
Learn more →What you provide to start a Pilot
The Pilot is designed to minimize demands on your team. If you have a target structure or a high-confidence model, you have enough to start a scoping call.
Not sure which epitope to target? Use Epitope Scout (free) to identify and rank surface patches on your target structure before you scope the Pilot.
Pilot questions
Do you work with academic grant budgets? +
Yes. The Binder Pilot is scoped for teams running a single-target campaign on a defined budget. We routinely work with academic PIs under direct cost quotes, subaward structures, and institutional POs. Grant-cycle payment schedules can be accommodated on a per-project basis.
Can a Pilot run under a simple MTA instead of a full MSA? +
Yes. For Pilots we can work under a simple mutual NDA plus a lightweight material transfer or service agreement rather than a full master services agreement. This shortens contracting for academic labs, student teams, and small companies that do not need a standing MSA.
What is the smallest engagement Ranomics takes? +
The Binder Pilot is our smallest fixed-scope binder program. Below that, our Epitope Scout tool is free to use for self-serve epitope analysis and can precede a Pilot. We do not take binder projects smaller than a Pilot because a single display round with NGS readout is the minimum experimental footprint needed to generate defensible binding data.
How is the Binder Pilot different from the AI Binder Sprint? +
The Pilot is a single-round program with a smaller design pool and one FACS or MACS selection round. The AI Binder Sprint is a multi-algorithm campaign with a larger pool and runs over 6-8 weeks with milestone check-ins and a 100% binder guarantee. Pilot projects that yield clear hits can be extended into a Sprint or into custom affinity maturation as a natural next step.
Is the Binder Pilot suitable for industrial biotech targets? +
Yes. The Pilot format works for binder discovery against any soluble or displayable target, whether the downstream application is therapeutic, diagnostic, or industrial (biosensing, bioprocessing, affinity reagents for ag/food-tech). We scope each Pilot to the target biology rather than the end market.
What happens if the Pilot does not yield clear hits? +
The Pilot is a focused single-round program, so a null result is a defensible data point about target difficulty and epitope accessibility. We provide the NGS enrichment data, the ranked candidate list, and a technical interpretation of why the round behaved as it did, plus a recommendation on whether a Sprint-scale campaign or an epitope rescoping is warranted.
Can iGEM teams or student research groups run a Binder Pilot? +
Yes, where the project has institutional sponsorship, a defined budget, and a clear target structure. We have worked with university research groups and treat these engagements with the same scientific rigor as biopharma projects.
How are results kept confidential? +
Pilots run under mutual NDA. Target structures, designed sequences, and screening data are not shared or used outside your project. For academic and research-tool engagements, we can also accommodate publication timelines and co-authorship discussions as part of the scoping call.
Scope a Pilot around your target
Tell us about your target, your timeline, and whether you want to start with Epitope Scout first. We will assess feasibility and send a proposed scope of work within five business days.