Fully automated system enables high purity proteins for accurate protein structure analysis to be produced on an industrialised research scale
GE Healthcare has introduced Aktaxpress Twin, the second in a series of fully integrated protein purification systems to deliver totally automated, multi-step purification of His- and GST-tagged proteins for small scale research.
This product is a smaller version of GE Healthcare's Aktaxpress, which is a high-throughput protein purification system that the company says has become an invaluable tool in large-scale drug discovery processes.
"Today's structural genomics research demands extremely pure proteins for accurate protein structure analysis, maximising the chances of successful crystallisation. "With Aktaxpress Twin, researchers in the laboratory have access to a system that allows for automated purification, eliminating what was previously a tedious and time consuming process," said Allan Simpson, VP of research and analysis. "Specifically, this system is designed to possess all the benefits of the standard Aktaxpress system, but is designed for researchers who do not require the high throughput capacity of the standard system".
Like the standard four module system, Aktaxpress Twin combines hardware, software and media in a truly automated way.
No complex programming is required; the specifically designed Unicorn software wizard selects the optimum purification protocol, and automatically transfers the largest peak from every purification step to the next column.
This multi-step process provides a protein purity of >95%. Aktaxpress Twin utilises a two-module system and accepts multiple samples offering researchers the ability to purify eight samples in approximately 11 hours, a significant time reduction from that of existing processes.
The standard Aktaxpress system extends from four modules to twelve, increasing throughput even further. "This new product is another example of GE Healthcare's commitment to service all levels and scales of clinical development," continued Simpson.
"Ultimately, our goal is to increase the capacity, accuracy and efficiency of pharmaceutical research and development conducted around the world."
