Company Announcements

In July, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced that its collaboration with SRI International resulted in the direct linking of the Thermo Scientific Compound Discoverer 2.1 platform for small molecule research with SRI’s BioCyc database, a collection of 9,300 databases that provide electronic reference sources on the metabolic pathways and genomes of many organisms. This enables researchers to combine the results of high-resolution Orbitrap LC/MS experiments with highly curated and organism-specific metabolic pathway and genome data.

Biognosys, which provides services and products for highly multiplexed protein quantification, announced in July that it secured $5 million in an extended series C round.

In July, Agena Bioscience and Intermountain Healthcare entered into a strategic collaboration to expand the use of Agena’s MassARRAY System in oncology applications, with the goal of focused panels for liquid and tissue biopsies. Intermountain currently offers the ICG100 Onco Focus Panel, which was developed on the MassARRAY System.

Agena Bioscience and HeartGenetics announced in July a comarketing alliance for Agena’s CE-IVD-marked MassARRAY DX system and HeartGenetics’ CE-IVD-marked HEARTDECODE services and assays for cardiovascular testing.

In July, Waters obtained a licensed to certain SISCAPA Assay Technologies’ technology for the standardization of LC/MS assays. The technology uses multiple stable isotope–labeled versions of an analyte molecule, each with a distinct mass increment, added to a sample at different known concentrations as a way to establish a within-sample internal standard curve.

Proteome Sciences reported that first-half sales for its TMT (Tandem Mass Tag) protein labeling reagents, available exclusively through Thermo Fisher Scientific, grew 40% to £0.96 million ($1.2 million). Due to limited resources for new higher plexing reagents, commercial availability of the reagents is not expected until the second half of 2018.

SCIEX announced in July the availability of its SCIEX MS systems through a wide range of flexible financing packages via financing company EVOSCIENCES. The agreement allows access by a broader range of customers, and limited or short-term MS use via the calculation of actual use. The financing packages are currently available in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the UK, Benelux, Austria and Switzerland. 

In July, Bruker received FDA clearance for its third, further expanded claim for its MALDI Biotyper-CA for microbial identification. The new claim adds 144 new species to the reference library, bringing it to 424 microbial species in 333 different groups. The latest claim also includes the new disposable MBT Biotargets 96 US IVD. Additional workflows tools now available for the MALDI Biotyper-CA are MBT Pilot for optically guided target-preparation assistance and the MBT Galaxy for automated reagent addition.

German firm BIOTECON Diagnostics, a developer of real-time PCR products for the food industry, was named in August as an OEM partner for the distribution of Bruker’s MALDI-TOF systems in the DACH area (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and Eastern Europe. In connection with the agreement, BIOTECON plans to release a reference library focused on the diary and milk industry.

bioMérieux announced in July the receipt by its VITEK MS MALDI-TOF MS system of FDA 510(k) clearance for the expanded identification of mycobacteria, Nocardia and molds. For the first time, it enables identification of the Mycobacterium TB group, the most frequent non-tuberculous mycobacteria, including species from both solid and liquid growth media.

In August, Protea Biosciences announced a collaboration research agreement with the Vaccine Immunotherapy Center division of the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The goal is to codevelop a new diagnostic method that will provide cancer cell molecular profiles using advanced molecular imaging technology.

Product Introductions

In July, Hitachi High-Technologies unveiled the HM1000 thermal desorption chemical ionization MS for testing of four types of phthalates. Each sample can be screened in less than 10 minutes, according to the company. Using an autosampler, up to 50 samples, including reference specimens, can be analyzed in approximately 8 hours. The system is priced starting at ¥14 million ($128,000). The company expects to sell 100 units annually.

IONICON Analytik introduced in July the AMC-Monitor T-1000 PRT-TOFMS for FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) for fab and clean room environmental airborne molecular-contamination monitoring in the semiconductor industry. It features new AME (Automated Measurement and Evaluation) analysis software.

Prosolia announced in July that its new DESI (Desorption Electrospray Ionization) model is compatible with Agilent Technologies’ TOF, Q-TOF and IM-Q-TOF LC/MS systems

In August, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments released the nSMOL (nano-Surface and Molecular Orientation Limited proteolysis) Antibody Bio-Analysis Kit for selective proteolysis of the Fab region of monoclonal antibodies. The simplified workflow eliminates the need for denaturing, reduction and alkylation.

Advion launched in August Peak its Express software for its expression compact MS. It features a new Delta Spectrum mass spectrum display, which automatically detects the smallest peaks without the user needing to know the product ion mass in advance.

Sales/Orders of Note

In July, EPL Bio Analytical Services, an agriculture-focused analytical contract lab, selected the SCIEX QTRAP 6500+ LC-MS/MS with SelexION for complex environmental analysis and agricultural markets testing.