Agilent licenses protein mass tagging technology to help proteomics researchers identify new targets from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation
Agilent Technologies and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation have announced a worldwide licensing agreement that allows Agilent to exclusively commercialise a new technology for proteomics applications used in drug research.
The technology is a chemical reagent used in the life sciences for the derivatisation and mass tagging of protein samples prior to analysis by mass spectrometry (MS).
The new reagent is expected to provide proteomics scientists with increased sensitivity of MS detection when analysing proteins, and is expected to be particularly useful for de novo sequencing applications in which scientists are working with previously undiscovered proteins. This can help proteomics researchers identify an increased number of new drug targets, therapeutic molecules and biological disease markers.
The reagent can be used when separating and analysing proteins using multidimensional liquid chromatography (LC) or 1D- and 2D-gel electrophoresis.
Agilent expects to make this technology available in kit format and in combination with Agilent's AP-Maldi and LC/MS based hardware and software systems as part of the company's complete proteomics solutions.
Offering the reagent in these two formats is expected to provide maximum flexibility and utility to the proteomics researcher.
"This agreement continues to build our portfolio of proteomics reagents and kits to enable scientists to discover new treatments and methods for disease intervention," said Fran DiNuzzo, vice president and general manager of the bioreagents, consumables and services unit within Agilent's Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis business.
"This further highlights our commitment to developing and making available the finest solutions for life science researchers." "This agreement represents an example of how the Institute's fundamental technologies are being broadly applied to advance basic science," said Troy Wilson, vice president for business development at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation.
"Agilent is an industry leader in the areas of mass spectrometry and proteomics solutions, and we are delighted to work with Agilent in the development and commercialisation of this reagent."
