GE Healthcare has launched the Microcal VP-Capillary differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) software, which provides the automated, high-throughput analysis of changes in protein stability.
This analytical system enables the early characterisation of the stability of molecules in solution, providing critical information in protein engineering, from pre-formulation and process development to the formulation of the final biopharmaceutical product.
The new software minimises the data analysis bottleneck and simplifies experiment design and setup, according to the company.
By providing a single graphical user interface for selecting and entering all sample and experiment run parameters, assay development time is said to be kept to a minimum.
The software also streamlines the workflow, enabling flexible instrument scheduling, while the automated data sorting and analysis capabilities can reduce the time required for the analysis of a typical experiment from days to hours.
The Microcal VP-Capillary DSC system works by allowing protein unfolding to be studied quickly without the use of labels or artificial probes as it determines the heat absorbed by the sample as the protein unfolds, giving a measure of thermal stability and an indication of long-term stability.
The system is designed to allow the study of up to 50 samples per day with fully automated cell filling, injection and cleaning functions, thereby enabling unattended operation.
The software is available with all new Microcal VP-Capillary DSC systems and as an upgrade for current users.
