Making waves in proteomics
speed up the breakdown of protein molecules by enzymes, the first
stage in protein identification. Now, a collaboration between two
companies is looking to incorporate microwaves into commercial
platforms used for protein chemistry research.
One of the companies involved in the new agreement, CEM of the US, is a pioneer in using microwave technology for speeding up reactions. The approach was first tried in the mid-1980s using regular microwave ovens, and in the 1990s became more widely accepted as companies like CEM, Sweden's Personal Chemistry and Italy's Milestone developed dedicated instruments for applying microwaves to reaction vessels.
CEM and Personal Chemistry have already developed small-scale systems for use in small-scale drug discovery, and the former's latest agreement, with Charles River Proteomic Services takes it into the tiny scales needed for proteomics experiments.
Microwaves accelerate enzymatic digestions without breaking down or affecting the enzyme's activity. This limits chance of unwanted reactions taking place, and reduces the amount of protein that escapes digestion. CEM and Charles River have already established that the technique works to speed up both gel- and solution-based systems, and will be presenting data on these experiments at the Keystone Symposium for Mass Spectrometry in Systems Biology, held 14-19 February 2004 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Charles River has already incorporated CEM's microwave technology into its in-house proteomics platform, with the result that turnaround times have been reduced with equal or improved data quality.
In the future, the microwave technology may be incorporated into product applications such as peptide and isotope labelling kits to improve reaction kinetics and shorten the time needed to generate results, said the firm.
Michael Collins, chief executive of CEM, said that there is a need for increased efficiency and effectiveness in proteomic research, and it is "an obvious next step for the technology to move into proteomic applications."
Over the next year, he said, CEM will bring to market new systems specifically designed to apply microwaves to proteomics research.
