Helix Biostructures

Helix Biostructures is an American contract research organization (CRO) focused on structural biology and early-stage drug discovery services. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, the company positions itself as a "gene-to-structure" partner for biopharmaceutical and agricultural scientists, covering the full path from gene construct design and recombinant protein production to biophysical characterization and high-resolution structure determination. Its service menu includes protein production (construct design, expression, purification), biophysical characterization (protein quality, drug molecule binding, protein–protein interactions), cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), protein crystallography, synchrotron X-ray data collection, and characterization of liposomes and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). The company's most distinctive commercial concept is "co-sourcing," which it presents as a deeper alternative to traditional outsourcing. Helix describes co-sourcing as an ongoing scientific collaboration rather than a transactional vendor relationship, emphasizing high accessibility, continuous communication, and full client visibility into project progress. Its messaging highlights that clients receive "the highest quality data and clean 3D models," have "100% real-time visibility into progress," and that scientific collaborators are "just a call or text away." Helix serves both the biopharmaceutical sector—where its structural biology work supports the discovery and development of next-generation medicines—and the agricultural biotechnology sector, where clients have praised its protein production and characterization services and its familiarity with international regulatory standards. The company states that since 2017 it has worked as a preferred CRO with hundreds of leading biopharmaceutical and agricultural scientists and their companies. Operationally, Helix offers flexible engagement models. Its cryo-EM services, for example, can be provided on a milestone or per-sample basis, with "by-the-grid," "by-the-hour," or "by-the-dataset" pricing depending on the stage. Its protein crystallography platform is described as fully automated, capable of rapidly and reliably generating and optimizing diffraction-quality crystals for X-ray work, including both known and unknown crystallization conditions. In X-ray data collection, Helix positions itself as a global leader, offering flexible, routine access to multiple synchrotron sources and beamlines, backed by decades of in-house data processing experience. The company is privately held and led by co-founder and CEO Joshua Carter, described as the entrepreneurial driving force behind Helix who has played a key role in shaping its strategic direction and driving rapid growth since the company's founding in 2017. Its team includes protein biochemists and structural biology specialists with decades of early-stage drug discovery experience. Helix's stated mission is to make structural biology more accessible to the next generation of scientists and to drug discovery and development companies, addressing the frustration and high costs caused by limited access to synchrotron sources, instrumentation, and expert resources.

Helix Biostructures was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, a city the company describes as rapidly growing. From its inception, the company was built around the concept of 'co-sourcing' — a structural biology partnership model intended to be deeper and more collaborative than traditional outsourcing. Its founding team included protein biochemists and structural biology experts with decades of early drug discovery experience, and it was led by co-founder and CEO Joshua Carter, described as the entrepreneurial force behind the company and instrumental in shaping its strategic direction and driving its rapid growth. Since 2017, Helix states that it has partnered with hundreds of the world's leading biopharmaceutical and agricultural scientists and their companies as a preferred contract research organization (CRO). Its service portfolio was built to cover the full 'gene-to-structure' workflow: gene construct design, recombinant protein expression and purification, biophysical characterization (including protein quality assessment, drug-molecule binding, and protein–protein interactions), protein crystallography, X-ray data collection at synchrotrons, cryo-electron microscopy, and characterization of liposomes and lipid nanoparticles. A central element of the company's development has been expanding access to structural characterization technologies that are otherwise scarce or costly. Helix frames its mission around removing barriers to synchrotrons, instruments, and expert personnel, and it has built flexible commercial models to that end — for example, offering cryo-EM on either a milestone-based or by-the-sample basis, with pricing structured by the grid, by the hour, or by the dataset. Its protein crystallography offering uses a fully automated platform to rapidly generate and optimize diffraction crystals, including for both known and unknown crystallization conditions. For X-ray data collection, the company positions itself as a global leader providing flexible, regular access to multiple synchrotrons and beamlines, supported by decades of in-house data-processing expertise. Helix serves both biopharmaceutical clients working on next-generation therapies and agricultural biotechnology clients, and it emphasizes clear, constant communication and full client visibility into project progress as hallmarks of its co-sourcing approach. The company remains privately held and continues to operate from its Indianapolis headquarters.

• 2017

  Helix Biostructures founded; begins building its co-sourcing structural biology CRO model.

• 2017

  Joshua Carter becomes Co-Founder and CEO, shaping the company's strategic direction and growth.

• Company establishes headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana.

• Builds a service portfolio spanning protein production, biophysical characterization, cryo-EM, protein crystallography, X-ray data collection, and LNP characterization.

• Reports having partnered with hundreds of leading biopharmaceutical and agricultural scientists and companies as a preferred CRO since 2017.

A 'co-sourcing' structural biology CRO positioned as a true intellectual partner — offering flexible, high-quality gene-to-structure services with constant communication and full client visibility, serving biopharmaceutical and agricultural research clients.

• Protein Production

  Recombinant protein production including gene construct design, protein expression, and protein purification.

• Biophysical Characterization

  Advanced techniques for characterizing protein quality and biophysical information, including drug-molecule binding and protein–protein interactions.

• Cryo-EM

  Flexible access to cryo-electron microscopy expertise and services via milestone-based or by-the-sample approaches; includes grid screening, high-resolution data collection, feasibility studies, and data processing.

• Protein Crystallography

  Fully automated platform to rapidly and reliably generate and optimize diffraction crystals for X-ray, including known and unknown crystallization conditions.

• X-Ray Data Collection

  Flexible, regular access to multiple synchrotrons/beamlines with decades of in-house data-processing expertise.

• LNP Characterization

  Characterization of liposomes and lipid nanoparticles by a team with deep cryo-EM expertise.

1. 1Helix BioStructures - Discover the Co-sourcing Differencehelixbiostructures.com
2. 2About Us - Helix BioStructureshelixbiostructures.com
3. 3Services - Helix BioStructureshelixbiostructures.com
4. 4Cryo-EM - Helix BioStructureshelixbiostructures.com
5. 5Helix Biostructures (United States) - Wikidatawikidata.org