Human-reviewed structural intelligence

Turn static protein structures into druggable open-state decisions.

ASCEND identifies hidden pockets, models how they open, assesses ligandability, exports dockable conformers, and turns structural analysis into clear drug-discovery decisions.

Apply for Founding Target Program View Deliverables Request Confidential Review

SelectiveCompany-sponsored public target program

ManagedHuman-reviewed queue

Decision-readyReports + usable files

ASCEND Decision Dossier Illustrative example

Four-panel ASCEND structural analysis showing the apo closed state, an opening motion frame, residue-level opening signal, and a candidate cryptic state with ligand hypothesis

Ranked siteP1

Ligandability assessmentExample: High

Opening evidenceExample: supported

Recommended handoffDock open conformer + validate

P1_open_001.pdbresidue_roles.csvvalidation_plan.md

The ASCEND way

A clear submission experience backed by scientific review.

Each request is screened for structural quality, scientific fit, data boundaries, and the decision it must support. Accepted programs move into a defined analysis plan with documented scope, deliverables, and review points.

01 Public target→02 Scientific review→03 ASCEND analysis→04 Decision package

Why managed review? ASCEND is currently offered through controlled internal workflows. The team reviews each target for eligibility, safety, structure quality, and scientific fit before starting the backend.

ASCEND Founding Target Program

A selective program for high-value public targets.

Five Stones Technologies sponsors a limited number of public-target evaluations to validate ASCEND, develop credible reference studies, and establish qualified scientific relationships. Every accepted project has a defined scope, named deliverables, and a documented value exchange.

What the selected team receives

A limited ASCEND evaluation of one public PDB or AlphaFold target
A concise structural readout with ranked opportunities and uncertainty
A scientific review conversation and recommended next step

What ASCEND receives

Structured feedback on scientific usefulness and deliverable clarity
Professional attribution whenever program outputs are presented or published
Permission, agreed in writing, to develop a public or jointly authored case study

Who should apply

Academic, nonprofit, hospital-research, public-health, and pre-seed teams
Projects with a public structure and a focused structural question
Commercial teams with budgets are directed to a sponsored pilot

Attribution guidance

How to credit ASCEND

Until an ASCEND software paper or DOI is assigned, use the report identifier and platform version supplied in the delivered dossier together with the company and website.

Methods / presentation citation

Structural analysis was performed using the ASCEND platform, Five Stones Technologies Inc., New York, USA (https://ascenddrugdiscovery.com; ASCEND report ID and platform version as provided).

Acknowledgment

We acknowledge Five Stones Technologies Inc. for providing an evaluation through the ASCEND Founding Target Program.

Authorship is contribution-based. If ASCEND scientists materially contribute to study design, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation, authorship is discussed under CRediT and the journal’s criteria—not granted automatically for access to the program.

Apply with a public target Discuss a sponsored pilot

Platform engines

One ASCEND platform. Modular engines underneath.

ASCEND can be used as a complete workflow or as separate engines for targeted collaborations, pilots, and reports.

ASCEND-Backmap

Resolution-lift and structure repair workflows for coarse-grained or simplified structures.

ASCEND-Path

Closed-to-open pathway generation using chain-of-states and NEB-style motion logic.

ASCEND-Motion

Surrogate acceleration, saddle refinement, barrier estimation, certification, and open-state probability.

ASCEND-Pocket

Cryptic pocket ranking, ligandability, residue roles, hotspots, docking readiness, and validation plans.

ASCEND-Design

Pocket-to-molecule workflows using pocket packages, open conformers, and hotspot constraints.

ASCEND-Glue

Future induced-proximity engine for molecular glue, PROTAC, and ternary-complex decision workflows.

Products and workflows

Start with one report. Expand into the full platform.

ASCEND Open-State Pack

For teams that need dockable open conformers from static protein structures.

Prepared open-state PDBs
Docking grid metadata
Conformer quality scores
Pocket residue table

ASCEND Cryptic-State Decision Dossier

For teams evaluating hidden, allosteric, or difficult-to-target binding states.

Ranked cryptic/allosteric pockets
Motion-supported opening evidence
Ligandability and uncertainty scoring
Residue roles, hotspots, and validation plan

ASCEND Pocket-to-Design Pack

For teams ready to move from pocket intelligence to candidate molecule hypotheses.

Pocket package handoff
Hotspot-constrained design inputs
Fragment and molecule scoring
Design-ready exports

ASCEND Africa & Caribbean Target Report

For regional and global-health programs addressing malaria, tuberculosis, antimicrobial resistance, viral disease, neglected diseases, and other locally important targets.

Africa- and Caribbean-relevant target prioritization
Grant-ready figures and reports
Validation suggestions for partner labs
Training and collaboration-ready outputs

What users receive

Files scientists can actually use.

ASCEND outputs are designed for decisions, not decoration: reports, PDBs, CSVs, JSON packages, and validation plans.

Start with a public target

ranked_pockets.csv

ligandability_report.pdf

P1_open_001_prepared.pdb

P1_docking_grid.json

residue_roles.csv

hotspot_map.json

chemotype_suggestions.json

validation_plan.md

decision_dossier.pdf

Access modes

Engagement models for targets, programs, and partnerships.

Founding Target Program

Selective company-sponsored evaluations for eligible public targets, with defined attribution, feedback, and case-study terms.

Confidential Program

An NDA-first pathway for proprietary targets, protected files, unpublished structures, or custom analyses.

Institutional Collaboration

A structured pathway for universities, hospitals, foundations, translational groups, and grant-supported programs.

Collaborations

For biotechnology teams, pharmaceutical innovators, research institutions, and global-health partners.

ASCEND supports scoped collaborations, sponsored pilots, public-target evaluations, confidential programs, and scientific training. We welcome biotechnology companies, startups, universities, hospitals, foundations, and public-health organizations working across computational chemistry, structural biology, molecular modeling, and translational drug discovery.

Built in New York for global collaboration, with a particular commitment to scientific capacity and drug-discovery partnerships across Africa and the Caribbean.

Managed scientific intake

Choose the right way to begin.

Every request enters human scientific screening before any ASCEND computation begins. The public website accepts no files and no confidential, regulated, patient-identifiable, export-controlled, or proprietary information.

Contact

Use professional or institutional information.

Full name Work email Organization Role or title Organization type

Scientific fit

Provide public information only.

Public target or protein name Public structure identifier or URL Therapeutic or research area Desired timeline What decision do you need to make? Requested ASCEND support

If selected, I am willing to acknowledge ASCEND and Five Stones Technologies in resulting public work. I am open to discussing an approved public or joint case study. This is not automatic permission.

Preferred follow-up

Required confirmations

I am authorized to submit this request and the information it contains. I understand this intake is non-confidential and contains no files, protected structures, proprietary compounds, patient-identifiable information, regulated clinical records, export-controlled data, or third-party confidential information.

By submitting, I accept the ASCEND Preliminary Intake Terms and consent to communication about this request.

Your tracking ID is created after successful submission.

Keep it for correspondence with ASCEND. The same ID is recorded with your request so our team can locate it.

No files can be attached. If a protected exchange is appropriate, ASCEND will issue separate instructions after the required agreement pathway is confirmed.

FAQ

Clear boundaries build trust.

Does public intake automatically run the backend?

No. Public requests enter a managed review queue. The team reviews each request before initiating the ASCEND backend workflow.

Can users send confidential targets?

Not through the public form. Confidential work requires a written agreement and a protected partner workflow.

How is ASCEND currently delivered?

ASCEND is offered through defined scientific engagements powered by internal structural-analysis engines. The engagement model, scope, deliverables, timing, and data pathway are confirmed before work begins.

How is ASCEND different from a public server?

ASCEND combines a simple target-submission experience with curated scientific review, modular engines, and decision-ready deliverables.