Biophysical Sensing Tools in Drug Discovery: Integrating Kinetics, Thermodynamics, Cellular Target Engagement and Structure

Journal article : Review

Biophysical sensing technologies have become central to modern drug discovery because they enable direct, quantitative characterization of ligand-target interactions. In contrast to conventional biochemical and cellular assays that infer binding from downstream functional responses, biophysical methods detect interaction events through measurable physical changes such as refractive index, heat, fluorescence, mass, or protein stability. This review surveys the major classes of biophysical sensors used in drug discovery, including surface-based optical methods, calorimetry, solution-state spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry-based approaches, and cellular target engagement assays. For each modality, we outline the measurement principle, the key parameters obtained, and its value across hit identification, hit validation, lead optimization, and mechanism-of-action studies. We also emphasize the growing importance of combining orthogonal methods to improve confidence in binding data, resolve assay artifacts, and strengthen early decision-making. Finally, we discuss how biophysical measurements are increasingly integrated with structural biology and computational analysis to support more predictive and mechanism-driven discovery workflows. Collectively, these technologies provide a richer and more reliable understanding of molecular recognition and thereby improve the progression of drug candidates.

Authors: Balıkçı, E; Akıl, C

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: MDPI
• Journal: Sensors
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 10
• Pages: 3105
• Publication date: 2026-05-14
• Acceptance date: 2026-05-13
• DOI: 10.3390/s26103105
• EISSN: 1424-8220
• ISSN: 1424-8220
• Pmid: 42197912
• Language: English
• Keywords: Biophysics; Fragment-based Drug Discovery; Humans; Kinetics; Biosensing Techniques; Biophysical Sensing; SPR; Thermodynamics; Drug Discovery; NMR; Mass Spectrometry; X-ray crystallography; Target Engagement; Ligands; Cryo-em; drug discovery; thermodynamics; Mass spectrometry
• Subtype: Review