Westlake University researchers unveiled a high-throughput platform for engineering fast-acting covalent protein therapeutics, published in Science. The method is designed to rapidly select protein candidates that form covalent bonds with targets to achieve quicker pharmacological activity. The platform is aimed at addressing a common challenge for covalent biologics—identifying molecules with the right reactivity profile at scale while maintaining manufacturability and biological performance. By standardizing early-stage screening through a high-throughput selection workflow, the approach can shorten iteration cycles. If the platform generalizes across target classes, it could reduce the time required to generate preclinical leads for biologic therapeutics that need both potency and rapid on-target engagement.