The ClinProt Micro system offers sample preparation tools for biofluids and tissue extracts with analysis, visualisation and model building software included. The well-established ClinProt workflow measures peptides and proteins, which can be used to discover multi-marker panels or profile patterns indicative of specific diseases. These multi-marker panels or patterns offer better diagnostic specificity than single biomarkers.
The system is based on the high-performance bench-top MALDI TOF mass spectrometer from Bruker's FLEX series and operates under Bruker's Compass software. Another component of the ClinProt Micro is its patented AnchorChip MALDI target technology, which offers improved examination in biomarker discovery, including automated acquisition and a 10-100 fold sensitivity increase.
Mark Flocco, business development manager for clinical proteomics at Bruker Daltonics, commented: "The ClinProt Micro represents a leap forward in cancer biomarker discovery, by combining magnetic bead preparation of biological fluids or tissue samples, with sensitive and reproducible ClinProt profiling."
"Its order of magnitude lower cost per sample makes this approach affordable for economical larger validation studies. Due to its modularity the ClinProt Micro can even be used for the identification of putative multi-biomarker panels," he added.
When upgraded with reflectron technology, the system can also be utilised for biomarker identification on isolated and digested putative biomarkers with protein sequence coverage. The reflectron model also offers the ability to detect and localise post-translational modifications in cancer proteomics.
The new ClinProt Micro system complements Bruker Daltonics' existing ClinProt high-end research systems based on floor-standing high-resolution MALDI-TOF or TOF/TOF systems
The ClinProt Micro solution also incorporates Bruker Daltonics' unique magnetic bead sample preparation technology with functionalised surfaces to bind and enrich proteins and peptides. Captured proteins and peptides are eluted from the surface and a fraction is transferred to AnchorChip targets for analysis, leaving the remaining aliquot for further confirmatory analyses.