SAW Instruments has inked a deal with US firm Full Spectrum Genetics (FSG) to place a high-end samX biosensor in FSG’s San Francisco laboratory. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Within the agreement, FSG will have full access to the biosensor for its own internal research programmes, and will receive full applications training and support from SAW Instruments.
The new system will be installed at the end of June and will mean that researchers on the West Coast can book demonstration slots and visit locally to see the sam X in action. samX utilises innovative Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology (rather than optical methods like conventional SPR) to generate real-time, label-free binding data. This makes the sam family of biosensors an enabling and cost-effective solution in drug discovery and life science research, ideal for measuring protein:protein, protein:small molecule and antibody:cell interactions on a single platform.
Dr Bob DuBridge, Chief Executive Officer, Full Spectrum Genetics, commented: “We are excited about having access to a samX system in our laboratory, since it will enable us to accurately measure the binding of our protein and peptide inhibitors to multi-spanning proteins, such as tetraspanners and GPCRs, on the surface of intact cells. Traditionally these measurements have been difficult to make on this class of cellular receptors, and we expect this technology will enable us to expand our development of biotherapeutics to include these important pharmaceutical targets.”
Dr Markus Perpeet, Managing Director, SAW Instruments, said, “We are delighted that FSG has chosen the samX biosensor for its antibody research and development programmes, as well as to demonstrate the system’s powerful capabilities to other interested parties. We have had a similar arrangement in Boston for East Coast customers and this has already proved extremely popular. SAW will also be implementing a local West Coast Field Applications Scientist, who will be on-site to offer support and showcase the system to other researchers.”
FSG is located in South San Francisco, extremely close to San Francisco International Airport, putting it within easy distance of anyone on the West Coast of the US. As the newest member of the sam family, the samX is optimised for higher throughput, having eight sensors, and for on-line loading and binding of capture proteins. The elegant fluidics on samX also enables samples to be delivered to unique sensor positions or to common groups of two, four or eight sensors with the same sample or reagent.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai