Pressure BioSciences, Inc., a leading sample preparation tools company for the research market and Sage-N Research, Inc., a world leader in computational proteomics, announced a collaboration to develop software applications on Sage-N’s SORCERER Integrated Data Appliance platform. The software will be designed to work with PBI’s patented and enabling pressure cycling technology system, a novel technology platform that is used to extract, among other biomolecules, integral cell membrane and other proteins for subsequent mass spectrometry analysis.
Integral cell membrane proteins are of significant clinical importance due to their roles in cell signal transduction in cancer, membrane transport disorders like Crohn’s disease, pathogen invasion such as HIV, and their roles in other diseases and disorders. Unfortunately, integral cell membrane proteins are traditionally very difficult to extract. In some cases, harsh chemicals are used in the extraction process, causing such severe protein degradation that subsequent proteomic analysis is compromised.
PBI’s PCT Platform uses rapid cycles of low and ultra-high pressure to safely and effectively extract proteins from samples (including cell membranes) that are suitable for analysis by analytical methods such as mass spectrometry. The PCT Platform also provides a high level of automation, speed, and reproducibility in the enzymatic breakdown of proteins. This allows the PCT-enhanced digestion to be completed in under an hour, compared to the standard four to twelve hours.
Richard T. Schumacher, President and CEO of PBI, said: “We plan to seamlessly integrate PBI’s front- end PCT Sample Preparation System (instruments and consumables) with Sage-N’s SORCERER back- end data reduction software. We expect to offer this bundled platform as an option to stand-alone sample preparation and data reduction methods used currently by the mass spectrometry laboratory. We believe that by bundling these enabling platforms, we will be offering a higher quality, more efficient, and less costly solution than they currently have for sample preparation and data reduction. Since the companies now target an identical market – the mass spectrometry laboratory – we expect to share a number of marketing and selling programs directed at this market going forward. Overall, we believe our new co- marketing program will reduce costs and increase sales for both PBI and Sage-N before the end of 2012.”
“Mass spectrometry proteomics continues to evolve from a general-purpose protein identification technology to specialized applications, such as characterization of membrane proteins and detecting novel pathogens,” noted David Chiang, Chairman of Sage-N Research. “Our SORCERER platform continues to evolve to meet the ever expanding IT needs of mass spectrometry labs by providing advanced companion tools for these applications.”
Sage-N Research’s SORCERER Integrated Data Appliance platform provides complementary software applications that are customized for each particular sample preparation chemistry. This results in a semi- automated system for membrane and other protein analysis that can use any modern tandem mass spectrometer and liquid chromatography system.
Date: March 19, 2012
Source: Pressure BioSciences, Inc.
