Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies and PREMIER Biosoft Collaborate to Deliver Glycomics Research Solutions
Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, and its joint-venture partner, MDS Analytical Technologies, a business unit of MDS Inc. (NYSE:MDZ) (TSX:MDS), and PREMIER Biosoft International today announced that they have signed a co-marketing and reseller agreement to deliver solutions for glycobiology research worldwide. Glycobiology is the study of sugars or saccharides known as glycans, which play essential roles as components in all living organisms. Researchers use life science tools to investigate glycans to further understand biology, such as how sugars affect the structure and activities of proteins.
To offer integrated workflows to glycomics researchers, Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies will co-market and resell PREMIER Biosoft's SimGlycan, an innovative high throughput glycan mass finger-printing tool, for use with Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies' mass spectrometers, including the 4800 Plus MALDI TOF/TOF(TM) Analyzer, the 4000 QTRAP(R) System and the QSTAR(R) Elite System.
SimGlycan is a data analysis tool that predicts glycan structure using MS/MS data acquired by mass spectrometry. It matches the MS/MS spectra with its own comprehensive, robust and annotated database to predict glycan structure. A simple search generates a list of all the probable glycans close to the actual sample. Structures are scored using a proprietary algorithm to help judge the distinction between close matches. In addition, each structure is mined for associated glycan class, reaction, pathway and enzyme, saving users valuable time, money and the frustration of laborious manual annotation.
"Our collaboration with Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies brings together the capabilities of two leaders in their respective fields to deliver a complete analysis and research solution for characterizing glycans, glycoproteins and glycopeptides," said Kay Brown, vice president of business development and marketing at PREMIER Biosoft. "We believe this collaboration will expand the use of our product, SimGlycan, within the glycomics community."
The instrument systems combined with PREMIER Biosoft's software are part of Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies' broad line of mass spectrometry products that comprise innovative workflows in life science research. The 4800 Plus system is a proteomics analyzer that can identify thousands of proteins in a biological sample. The QTRAP system is a unique platform with hybrid quadrupole/linear ion trap technology, designed for studies that require and/or benefit from both quantitative and qualitative results in the same experiment. The QSTAR system is a hybrid quadrupole TOF instrument that provides high mass accuracy and sensitivity for a wide variety of biological applications.
"Protein glycosylation is one of the most common types of post-translational modifications," said Lydia Nuwaysir, Ph.D., senior product manager at Applied Biosystems. "Full characterization is particularly important for biopharmaceuticals because, ultimately, the type and extent of glycosylation can affect protein structure and activity. Combining PREMIER Biosoft's product with our instruments will allow the glycomics research community to take full advantage of the unique capabilities of the 4800, QTRAP and QSTAR systems for glycostructure analysis."
Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies mass spectrometry systems are widely used for high throughput analysis in support of protein and biomarker research, clinical trials, and drug metabolism studies in the biotechnology, biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. As a leader in mass spectrometry, Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies offers innovative technology for glycobiology research. For example, the high energy fragmentation of the 4800 MALDI TOF/TOF(TM) analyzer and the MS3 capabilities of the 4000 QTRAP(R) system provide unique and complementary fragmentation patterns that can unlock glyco structure. In addition, the high mass accuracy and efficient fragmentation of the QSTAR instrument are ideally suited for glycan analysis.
