Bruker Corporation has launched two new timsTOF instruments – the timsTOF SCP for unbiased single cell 4D-proteomics and the next-gen timsTOF Pro 2 with unprecedented proteomic depth. The instruments enable new applications and methods in unbiased proteomics, epiproteomics/PTM characterization, and unbiased, deep multiomic biomarker discovery, such as in cancer liquid biopsy research.

At the end of 2020, a breakthrough paper by the Mann-group demonstrated unbiased, true single-cell proteomics on more than 1,400 protein groups on a timsTOF R&D prototype to address new quantitative questions in single-cell biology and pathobiology.1

Bruker has accelerated its product development resulting in the launch of their ultra-high sensitivity timsTOF SCP system for unbiased, quantitative singlecell 4D-proteomics, and for ultra-sensitive neoantigen discovery in immunopeptidomics.

Since its introduction in 2017, the timsTOF Pro system has offered researchers new capabilities in unbiased CCS-enabled 4D-proteomics, typically on 5x-20x lower sample amounts and with 3x-5x faster run times for single shot, deep proteomics – with higher throughput and unprecedented robustness. With the introduction of the next-generation timsTOF Pro 2, Bruker continues the revolution in CCS-enabled 4D-proteomics, as well as in 4D-epiproteomics, defined here broadly as the characterization of all protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs). The timsTOF Pro 2 offers deeper proteome coverage of >6,000 protein groups and >60,000 unique peptides in 60 minute gradients on 200 ng HeLa digests. It also achieves good depth of proteome and epiproteome coverage at 10x lower amounts, for example, with ~4,000 proteins and ~30,000 peptides on 20 ng digests. The outstanding timsTOF Pro 2 sensitivity significantly enhances methods to detect PTMs, such as phosphoproteomics and ubiquitination studies, for CCS-enabled, unbiased, large-scale 4D-epiproteomics, which is important in physiology, cell biology and disease biology, especially in cancer.

Bruker has also enhanced the capabilities in its PaSER real-time search software for 4Dproteomics with their new PaSER 2022. New functionalities of PaSER 2022 include: MOMA Viewer, real-time de novo peptide sequencing and TIMScore™ for unbiased 4D-proteomics, in addition to ‘Run & Done’ search.