Waters has donated a Waters Synapt MS System mass spectrometer to The Fondation du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS).
The gift, worth CD1.1m (GBP0.55m), is the result of a partnership between Waters and CHUS and was critical to the creation of the Waters-CHUS Expertise Center for Clinical Mass Spectrometry for screening, clinical diagnosis and assessment of treatments for specific hereditary diseases.
Professor Christiane Auray-Blais will direct the centre.
She said: 'This mass spectrometer will enable us to identify previously unknown biomarkers, that is, characteristics that can be objectively measured biochemically as indicators of pathogenic processes.
'This will enable us to better understand certain diseases, such as Fabry disease, establish correlations with the severity of the disorder, screen patients earlier, offer more effective treatment and deliver better management.
'In addition to lysosomal storage disorders (lysosomal genetic deficiency), other diseases related to prematurity, gestational diabetes, pain, cancer, and DNA damages could be assessed with metabolic fingerprints or profiles.'
