Arctoris, an Oxford-based technology company operating a fully automated drug discovery platform, has – on the occasion of its 5th anniversary – unveiled its new and expanded, next-generation robotic platform, Ulysses.
Arctoris was founded in 2016 as the world’s first fully automated drug discovery platform. Through end-to-end automation, the company’s unique technology platform rapidly delivers reliable, reproducible, and fully auditable datasets enabling better decision-making early in the drug discovery process.
Commenting on the anniversary, the company’s CEO Dr Martin-Immanuel Bittner said: “The drug discovery ecosystem is evolving rapidly, and the key to success is having access to the right data at the right time, to progress the right projects towards the clinic. Arctoris plays an important role in enabling true data-driven drug discovery globally, by generating the data that powers decisions in biotech and pharma companies on three continents.”
Tom Fleming, COO of Arctoris, added: “Drug discovery is undergoing a rapid digital metamorphosis, and Ulysses plays a central catalytic role in that transformation. This success is the result of our amazing team’s dedication and hard work over these past five years, combined with guidance from experienced and insightful advisors and board members. We are looking forward to the next five years, which will see even greater change and accelerated growth, toward a future where treatments and cures can be generated at a fraction of the time and cost, and we are privileged to play our role in building that future.”
Having strengthened its team over the past few years with several high-profile hires and Advisory Board appointments, the company has recently announced partnerships with Insilico Medicine and Syntekabio, while further expanding its operations globally.
The Chairman of the Board, Dr Vishal Gulati, echoed the founders’ enthusiasm: “Five years ago, the founders set out with the idea to make it possible for any scientist in the world to run a biotech company with a laptop and a credit card – and thanks to Arctoris, this is now entirely possible, harnessing the power of automation for drug discovery. As Chairman of the Board of Arctoris, I am incredibly proud of where the Company stands today, and I am excited about what lies ahead, on our path to redesigning drug discovery from the ground up.”
AMSBIO offers mutant spike proteins, antigens for SARS-CoV-2 variant research
, /in Product News /by panglobalAMSBIO has introduced a collection of mutated SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and recombinant antigens for the new virus variants – B.1.1.7 and B.1.351. These reagents can be used by researchers to evaluate the efficacy of the antibodies and identify targets for development of improved therapeutic drugs and vaccines.
Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin testing: a truly traceable and specific biomarker for chronic alcohol misuse
, /in Featured Articles /by panglobalby Jean Deenmamode The concept of testing breath, blood or urine for alcohol is familiar to the general public, and blood alcohol testing is widely used across a range of industries, from aviation to driver licensing. But is a snapshot alcohol measurement really the best approach to ensuring longterm safety in these industries, or identifying […]
Choosing the correct tip for your pipettes: are third-party manufactured tips a good alternative?
, /in Featured Articles /by panglobalby Dr Nicolas Gerst Pipettes are important tools widely used in the lab. They are usually chosen and purchased carefully with the goal of receiving the best performance for a given price. Pipette tips are consumables; therefore, price can be an important factor, sometimes at the detriment of quality and performance. We found that tips […]
Thermo Scientific introduces Orbitrap Exploris GC 240 mass spectrometer
Laboratory, /in Product News /by panglobalThermo Scientific has introduced the Orbitrap Exploris GC 240 – a new gas chromatography (GC) high-resolution mass spectrometer (MS) with unrivalled mass resolving power, sensitivity and wide dynamic range.
The GC addresses the need for increased flexibility, speed and accuracy in research applications throughout academic and industry laboratories, and offers researchers the capability to achieve new depths of analysis and drive scientific understanding. With new-generation system architecture and instrument control software, the system provides simple yet powerful data acquisition capabilities.
Research power
The Orbitrap Exploris GC 240 MS takes research capabilities to a new level with a resolving power of 240,000, for accelerated innovation. By delivering both quantitative and qualitative information from a single injection, the new system enables precise and comprehensive compound identification, allowing researchers to make fast and accurate discoveries with confidence. As research laboratories require the versatility to answer myriad questions in their studies, the Orbitrap Exploris GC 240 MS also provides the flexibility to tackle a diverse range of analytical challenges, from identifying unknown contaminants and extractables and leachables, to applied quantification and metabolomics. The system offers the capability of MS/MS for compound structural information and both electron and chemical ionization without system venting to speed up time to result.
User benefits
Users of the Orbitrap Exploris GC 240 MS will benefit from:
Orbitrap Exploris portfolio
The new system, along with the Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris GC, extends the Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris portfolio of high-resolution accurate mass systems, which is now comprised of the Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris 480 mass spectrometer, launched in 2019, and the recently introduced Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris 240 and Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris 120 mass spectrometers.
PCR Biosystems unveils advanced Bst Polymerase reagents for accelerated DNA and RNA amplification
Biochemistry, Laboratory, /in Product News /by panglobalPCR Biosystems, the UK-based specialists in DNA and RNA analysis, have launched a range of IsoFast Bst Polymerase reagents for rapid, robust and sensitive DNA and RNA amplification. Through its nucleic acid strand displacement capabilities, Bst polymerase eliminates the need for the high temperature denaturation step associated with traditional Taq enzymes. This enables faster time to result and facilitates DNA and RNA amplification in the field without specialised thermocycling equipment.
The new range of IsoFast Bst reagents from PCR Biosystems can be used for a variety of techniques including whole genome amplification, multiple displacement amplification and isothermal amplification. Such techniques have important applications in sectors ranging from environmental and food pathogen testing to clinical diagnostics and next generation sequencing. Scientists performing DNA and RNA amplification using IsoFast Bst Polymerase can benefit from consistent results over a wide dynamic range and sensitivities down to 3 copies of target DNA (10fg).
To continue PCR Biosystems’s support of the global fight against COVID-19, the Bst Polymerase reagents have been validated for qualitative detection of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid. Combined with the reagents’ suitability for use in the field, this validation opens the potential for rapid SARS-CoV-2 testing in environments such as airports, hospitals or care homes, without the need for a central laboratory, delivering results in 30 minutes and supporting initiatives for community or regular testing to safeguard public health. Sensitivities down to 12 copies of SARS-CoV-2 targets can be achieved, providing confidence in the quality and accuracy of results.
“DNA and RNA amplification has been a staple technique in the scientific toolbox for more than 40 years, and with its application for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing, there has been an increased demand for rapid and reliable reagents for mass testing,” says Alex Wilson, co-founder of PCR Biosystems. “The launch of the IsoFast Bst Polymerase range aligns with our commitment to provide robust solutions to support COVID-19 testing and will continue to expand diagnostic capabilities for viruses such as Zika and Ebola long after the COVID-19 pandemic.”
While many supply chains have been disrupted due to the pandemic, PCR Biosystems continues to scale up and optimise operations to provide consistent, reliable supplies to customers, ensuring laboratories have the critical DNA and RNA analysis reagents needed for uninterrupted research and diagnostics.
The IsoFast Bst range is available in flexible formats, with 2X mix formats streamlining set up for high throughput applications and components available separately for those customers wanting to optimise the reaction for their specific needs. Furthermore, the reagents are offered with optional fluorescent dyes, facilitating real-time amplification tracking.
Lonza introduces high-quality cryopreserved Leukopaks
Laboratory, Research, /in Product News /by panglobalLonza has expanded its renowned human primary cell offerings with the launch of fully customizable, high-quality cryopreserved Leukopaks. The frozen Leukopaks will enable long-distance shipping of leukapheresis products without the concern of reduced cell viability encountered with fresh Leukopaks. Being suitable for long-term storage in research labs, the cryopreserved Leukopaks will also allow immediate access to viable cells for greater convenience and workflow flexibility.
The cryopreserved Leukopaks come in a range of sizes, and multiple donor characteristics and testing options are available through a unique costing structure that allows customers to only pay for the customization that they need.
What is a Leukopak?
A Leukopak is an enriched leukapheresis-derived product containing high concentrations of peripheral blood mononuclear cells like T cells, B cells and monocytes. Such cells are a critical raw material in immunotherapy research and for optimizing cell therapy process development before progressing to full clinical manufacture. However, fresh Leukopaks can be hard to access and must be used rapidly to avoid cell degradation. International transportation options are thus severely limited, and logistical delays or donor cancellations can have catastrophic impacts on research costs and quality.
Global shipping
Cryopreserved Leukopaks allow reliable global shipping while maintaining cell viability and functionality, and the ability to thaw cryopreserved Leukopaks when needed means researchers are better able to plan ahead for more cost-efficient therapy development.
Lonza’s cryopreserved Leukopaks are available in a range of sizes, including packs of 2.5, 5 and 9.5 billion cells, which can be subdivided into separate smaller bags for greater convenience. Specific donor characteristics like age, gender and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) type are also available, with a wide range of recallable donors and several product testing options.
Customization
Customization follows a unique, tailored pricing structure, where customers only pay for the customization they require. Customers will also have access to Lonza’s globally renowned technical support services to facilitate optimized product usage and greater research success.
Immudex launches dCODE Dextramer (RiO), a new reagent compatible with BD Rhapsody Single Cell Analysis system
Laboratory, /in Product News /by panglobalImmudex ApS has been collaborating with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to create improved solutions for T-cell multi-omics research. The goal of this collaboration was to develop dCODE Dextramer reagents compatible with the BD Rhapsody Single Cell Analysis system, a platform that analyses the expression of hundreds of genes across tens of thousands of single cells in parallel.
Immudex has now launched dCODE Dextramer (RiO) reagents. These DNA barcoded MHC Dextramer reagents are designed to be compatible with the BD Rhapsody system to be used for multiplexing, allowing the identification of many different T-cell specificities in the same sample. Creating personalized dCODE Dextramer libraries, is possible to profile T cells and get a new understanding of T-cell immunity.
“At Immudex, we are working with a clear goal in mind, helping researchers worldwide to get a better understanding of cellular immunity,” said Liselotte Brix, CSO at Immudex.
“The immune system is complex, and there is still a lot to be discovered. dCODE Dextramer (RiO) technology combined with the BD Rhapsody single-cell multi-omic analysis provides a deeper understanding of T cell immunology in a user-friendly workflow by combining information on TCR recognition with gene and surface marker expression at the single-cell level. Such information helps unlock new insights into the immune response, accelerating basic research, immunotherapeutic development, and improving patient outcomes.”
The dCODE Dextramer technology is an extremely sensitive method to directly detect disease-specific T cells based on TCR recognition and DNA barcode labels. Combining dCODE technology with BD’s multi-omics solutions for immunology, researchers can obtain a full immunological profiling in one workflow and get the most of their experiments.
dCODE Dextramer (RiO) reagents are for research use only, not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, and have been manufactured by Immudex ApS.
BioChromato launches ionRocket for rapid, direct mass spectrometry characterisation of difficult samples
Laboratory, /in Product News /by panglobalThe ionRocket from BioChromato is a temperature-heating device for direct thermal desorption and pyrolysis of samples, prior to ionization and analysis by mass spectrometry.
Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) is a proven technique that enables rapid analysis of both solid and liquid samples under standard laboratory conditions without sample preparation. However, certain polymers, cosmetic powders and forensic materials are difficult to analyse using DART-MS due to the varying volatility of substituents in these complex samples. Even insoluble samples can be measured using the ionRocket / DART-MS set-up without treatment.
To overcome these challenges, BioChromato developed an innovative sample introduction device (ionRocket), which gradually heats a sample placed directly beneath the DART-MS gas stream. Gradient heating of the sample before ionization creates time/temperature resolved mass spectra, separating species both by their thermal desorption profiles and mass to charge ratio (m/z).
ionRocket generates a temperature gradient from ambient up to as high as 600ºC in just a few minutes. This allows compounds in your samples to be sublimated, vaporized, or pyrolyzed according to their volatility, and then introduced into the DART-MS gas stream. Because the ionRocket offers the option to weigh samples prior to analysis this results in reproducible MS intensity, allowing calibration curves of analyte amount versus peak intensity to be calculated.
Data obtained from ionRocket yields another axis of data (time/temperature) beyond that obtained from normal DART-MS analysis. Species desorb in order of their volatility along the temperature gradient, and therefore are separated in time. The data produced resembles that of an LC-MS or GC-MS chromatogram, consisting of temperature/time, m/z, and intensity. This can separate rare from abundant species, making them easier to detect.
Arctoris celebrates 5th anniversary, launches Ulysses robotic platform for drug discovery
, /in E-News /by panglobalArctoris, an Oxford-based technology company operating a fully automated drug discovery platform, has – on the occasion of its 5th anniversary – unveiled its new and expanded, next-generation robotic platform, Ulysses.
Arctoris was founded in 2016 as the world’s first fully automated drug discovery platform. Through end-to-end automation, the company’s unique technology platform rapidly delivers reliable, reproducible, and fully auditable datasets enabling better decision-making early in the drug discovery process.
Commenting on the anniversary, the company’s CEO Dr Martin-Immanuel Bittner said: “The drug discovery ecosystem is evolving rapidly, and the key to success is having access to the right data at the right time, to progress the right projects towards the clinic. Arctoris plays an important role in enabling true data-driven drug discovery globally, by generating the data that powers decisions in biotech and pharma companies on three continents.”
Tom Fleming, COO of Arctoris, added: “Drug discovery is undergoing a rapid digital metamorphosis, and Ulysses plays a central catalytic role in that transformation. This success is the result of our amazing team’s dedication and hard work over these past five years, combined with guidance from experienced and insightful advisors and board members. We are looking forward to the next five years, which will see even greater change and accelerated growth, toward a future where treatments and cures can be generated at a fraction of the time and cost, and we are privileged to play our role in building that future.”
Having strengthened its team over the past few years with several high-profile hires and Advisory Board appointments, the company has recently announced partnerships with Insilico Medicine and Syntekabio, while further expanding its operations globally.
The Chairman of the Board, Dr Vishal Gulati, echoed the founders’ enthusiasm: “Five years ago, the founders set out with the idea to make it possible for any scientist in the world to run a biotech company with a laptop and a credit card – and thanks to Arctoris, this is now entirely possible, harnessing the power of automation for drug discovery. As Chairman of the Board of Arctoris, I am incredibly proud of where the Company stands today, and I am excited about what lies ahead, on our path to redesigning drug discovery from the ground up.”
Thermo Fisher introduces 2 new centrifuges
, /in Product News /by panglobalThe new 1.6 L benchtop and 4 L floor-standing systems complete the General Purpose Pro Centrifuge Series
Thermo Fisher Scientific has further expanded its Thermo Scientific General Purpose Pro Centrifuge Series with the addition of two new models designed to meet the needs of biopharmaceutical, cell and gene therapy, and academic research laboratories, as well as clinical diagnostic facilities, for enhanced sample safety and reproducibility, improved ergonomics and reduced noise levels.
The new 1.6 L benchtop and 4 L floor-standing systems complete the General Purpose Pro Centrifuge Series, completing a comprehensive family of products to address varying sample capacity and laboratory space requirements. Like the other systems in the series, the new models feature a unique full colour, glass touchscreen display that facilitates a simple user interface for immediate, effortless workflow and operation monitoring, as well as easy cleaning. As a result, laboratories benefit from an advanced level of functionality and improved efficiencies.
High-speed
A new high-speed rotor complements the 4 L models providing the ability to run both microplates and tubes. Built with versatility in mind, the complete General Purpose Pro Centrifuge Series offers 24 different rotor options in total — including 11 swinging bucket and 13 fixed angle rotors — which can be used interchangeably to align with various application needs, from cell culture procedures and microplate processing to cell and gene therapy manufacturing and clinical protocols. The systems’ ergonomically enhanced, novel industrial design enables the quick and safe change of any of the 24 rotor types in just three seconds through the Auto-Lock Rotor Exchange function.
“Centrifuges are an integral part of biopharmaceutical, cell and gene therapy, academic research and clinical diagnostic laboratories, but installation can be a time and resource intensive task, requiring manual entry of run parameters, as well as transport and connection of rotors,” said Carlos Sevilla, general manager for centrifugation at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Drawing from our proven centrifugation expertise, the General Purpose Pro Centrifuge Series address these challenges, boasting technologies designed to push the boundaries of performance and usability for our customers’ unmet needs.”
General Purpose Pro Centrifuge Series
The General Purpose Pro Centrifuge Series includes the Thermo Scientific Sorvall, Thermo Scientific Multifuge and Thermo Scientific Megafuge systems, all of which meet the latest global IVD standards and medical regulations. Superior sample capacity and performance are enabled through the systems’ Fiberlite Carbon Fiber Rotors, while the certified ClickSeal Biocontainment Lids ensure personnel and laboratory environment safety and security.
More information
For more information visit: www.thermofisher.com