Bio-Rad Laboratories and Bruker have announced the launch of the Lucid Proteomics SystemO, a system that combines top-down and bottom-up proteomics approaches for biomarker discovery.
With both techniques on one platform, the Lucid Proteomics System is designed to accelerate biomarker research programmes by improving the chances of discovering biomarkers that have clinical relevance.
In the past, researchers have been limited by protein biomarker discovery systems that have required a choice between top-down and bottom-up methods.
Top-down proteomics enables processing of native biological samples, critical for the detection and identification of intact proteins and peptides less than 30 kilodaltons (kDa) and discovery of biologically generated protein cleavages and post-translational modifications as potential biomarkers.
The main advantage of the widely used bottom-up approach (proteolytic digestion of proteins prior to mass spectrometry analysis) is achieving high-resolution separations.
Although this method has proven successful for profiling and identifying proteins, researchers continue to face challenges when screening for biomarkers, particularly for candidates less than 30kDa.
The Lucid Proteomics System combines Bio-Rad's Proteinchip surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionisation (Seldi)-based array technology with Bruker's Ultraflextreme matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (Maldi-TOF/TOF) mass spectrometer.
The top-down solution includes high-throughput protein profiling and identification of biomarker candidates, either by direct on-chip TOF/TOF analysis suitable for small peptides or by enrichment, purification, and digestion followed by TOF/TOF analysis for larger proteins.
For the bottom-up approach, Bruker's Ultraflextreme Maldi-TOF/TOF offers high sensitivity, resolution and mass accuracy.
The Lucid Proteomics System is comprised of the following components from Bio-Rad and Bruker: Lucid profiling access pack including array holders, system licence, software, system qualification kit, Proteinchip arrays, buffers and accessories required to perform Seldi-based protein profiling; Lucid ID access pack including array holder, system licence, consumables, protocols and guidelines necessary to perform protein and peptide identification; and an Ultraflextreme Maldi TOF/TOF mass spectrometer (or autoflex series) configured for Proteinchip Seldi products.
Other key features include: methods for easy and robust protein profiling across the entire mass range; protein profiling software that incorporates many facets of the biomarker analysis workflow, from tracking clinical information from patients through statistical determination of viable biomarker candidates; and quality control standards to ensure experimental reproducibility.
