OPEN TARGET INITIATIVE (OTI)

The Open Target Initiative (OTI) is a collaborative research enablement and resource program for understanding protein target behavior and function in cells. Through OTI, participating groups receive access to MICRO-TAG® technology for exploratory research studies.

OTI is currently focused on supporting academic and non-profit research groups conducting foundational and translational research. Participation is selective and based on scientific alignment, technical feasibility, and available program capacity.

Researchers interested in exploring MICRO-TAG® technology are encouraged to contact CellarisBio to discuss potential participation pathways.

MICRO-TAG® is a real-time cellular target engagement platform that provides cellular biophysical insight into protein target behavior, stability, conformational state, and target engagement directly in cells.

OTI can support:

• Target validation 
• Cellular biophysical characterization 
• Target tractability assessment 
• Ligand and tool compound evaluation 
• Therapeutic candidate evaluation 
• Studies of challenging target classes such as transcription factors, membrane proteins, and protein complexes 

Yes. OTI supports flexible participation pathways that may include validated MICRO-TAG® targets, user-selected targets, or hybrid approaches combining both.

No. Validated targets provide a rapid starting point, but participation is not limited to existing target systems.

OTI participants may work with validated MICRO-TAG® targets or their own targets of interest. For investigator-selected targets, participants are generally responsible for generation of target-specific expression constructs.

Participants may receive:

• MICRO-TAG® Real-Time reagents 
• Access to validated target systems 
• Experimental guidance 
• Workflow resources 
• Data interpretation support 
• OTI Welcome Guide materials 

Participation packages may vary depending on the project scope.

Most OTI studies can be completed within approximately 2 months, although timelines may vary depending on the target system and study design.

All experimental data generated through OTI remain fully owned by the participating research group.

CellarisBio does not claim ownership of participant-generated research data.

We simply ask participants to share feedback on their experience with MICRO-TAG® and OTI. User feedback helps guide future platform development, workflows, and target expansion.

No particularly. Participants are expected to cover the expenses for shipment of reagents and generation of DNA constructs for their own target constructs. 

Contact the OTI team to discuss your research interests and potential participation. We will work with you to determine the most appropriate participation pathway and target strategy.

Understanding how proteins behave and function in their native cellular environment is fundamental to both basic biology and therapeutic discovery. OTI provides researchers with tools to investigate protein target behavior, cellular biophysics, and target engagement directly in cells.

No. Participation in OTI does not require sharing confidential, proprietary, unpublished, or sensitive information with CellarisBio. Researchers may participate in OTI without disclosing confidential research programs, compounds, targets, data, or intellectual property.

A Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) is not required for standard OTI participation. If a participant wishes to discuss confidential information with CellarisBio, a separate CDA may be established upon request.

No. You do not need to sign a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) to participate in OTI or receive MICRO-TAG® reagents.

Standard non-commercial use terms will be provided with the MICRO-TAG® reagents at the time of shipment and will govern their use within the OTI program.

If a participant wishes to establish a broader research collaboration or discuss activities beyond standard OTI participation, additional agreements may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Yes. OTI participation is open to qualified members of academic and non-profit research organizations. Participants should be conducting research under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member, principal investigator, or laboratory head.

Each participating group must designate a primary contact responsible for OTI communications, study coordination, and completion of the OTI evaluation survey.