Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) and Anderson Forschung Group LLC (AFG) today announced a collaboration to develop quantitative peptide assays to speed protein biomarker discovery and validation.
The collaboration will combine AFG's stable isotope standards and capture by anti-peptide antibodies (SISCAPA) technology with Agilent's 1200 Series HPLC-Chip and 6400 Series triple quadrupole mass spectrometers (MS). The combination will be used to develop methods for measuring the amounts of large numbers of peptides in digests of complex samples such as plasma. The results will benefit both organizations, and financial details were not disclosed.
"We're proud to be partnering with a thought leader like Dr. Anderson to develop improvements in clinical mass spectrometry," said Gustavo Salem, Agilent vice president and general manager, Biological Systems Division. "One of the greatest challenges to delivering useful knowledge using the protein biomarker discovery paradigm is achieving effective, reproducible and highly sensitive peptide quantitation."
"SISCAPA assays for candidate biomarkers can benefit substantially from the reproducibility and sensitivity of Agilent's platform, and we look forward to optimizing this combination," said Leigh Anderson, AFG's chief executive officer.
The SISCAPA method utilizes antibody-coated magnetic beads and a rotary magnetic bead trap device to capture target peptides, which are then measured using a nanoflow LC-MS/MS system. The goal is to accurately measure the quantities of very small amounts of peptides in sample digests, creating a useful research tool with potential uses in advanced diagnostics.
The Agilent 1200 Series HPLC-Chip/MS system is a microfluidic platform that integrates LC columns, connection capillaries, and nanospray emitter in a polymer chip, providing uncompromised chromatographic performance, even with small sample input amounts. The credit card-sized device is inserted into Agilent's HPLC-Chip Cube to interface with the MS. Chip loading, solvent and sample delivery, high pressure switching of flows, and chip positioning in the MS source are all automated.
The Agilent 6400 Series triple quadrupole LC/MS systems can provide femtogram-level sensitivity across a broad mass range. These instruments have earned a reputation for reliably quantitating trace organic compounds in complex matrices, such as drug metabolites, herbicide levels in food and contaminants in ground water.
For more information about the Agilent 1200 Series HPLC-Chip/MS, please visit www.agilent.com/chem/hplc-chip. To learn more about the Agilent 6400 Series triple quadrupole LC/MS, visit www.agilent.com/chem/qqq. To view Agilent's suite of solutions for protein biomarker discovery and validation, see www.agilent.com/lifesciences/proteomics.
About Anderson Forschung Group
AFG is a privately held company working to advance technologies for biomarker measurement, with a focus on proteins useful in clinical diagnostics.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 19,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.8 billion in fiscal 2008. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.
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