System Will Drastically Reduce Lead to Application Time

DUBLIN, IRELAND, 6th OCTOBER 2008 – The Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (BDI) based at Dublin City University (DCU) announced today that it has invested in Biacore™ A100 label-free protein interaction analysis system. The BDI is focused on the development of novel point of care diagnostics for detecting e.g. cardiac conditions, cancer, mastitis in cattle, and blood coagulation monitoring. Biacore A100 will be officially launched by the BDI on 7th October 2008. The investment in the instrument was made possible following a significant award from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). The BDI becomes the first academic research institute in Europe to own Biacore A100.

“Key characteristics of binding molecules, such as antibody fragments, empirically alter the specificity, sensitivity and potential application of new analytical platforms such as the next generation biomedical point-of-care biochips being developed at the BDI. The generation of data by Biacore A100, such as thermodynamic stability and binding kinetics, is of critical importance for the incorporation of antibody fragments onto the BDI’s novel biochip platforms,” commented Prof. Richard O’Kennedy, DCU.

Biacore A100 was thoroughly evaluated by BDI scientists prior to being installed at DCU. The high quality and high content data generated by the instrument, parallel sample analysis and high productivity along with the ability to analyse ~2000 interactions in 24 hours were key factors in the decision to purchase the instrument. In addition, the biosensor utilises sensor chips amenable to a variety of immobilisation chemistries, enabling it to be used for a wide range of applications.

The BDI is an Academic-Industry-Clinical partnership founded in October 2005 at DCU to develop next-generation biomedical diagnostic devices. The devices are designed for point of care as well as self-test, home use. The multidisciplinary research institute brings together leading researchers from academic, corporate and clinical backgrounds. The founding partnership of the BDI, funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under its Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) Programme, comprises academic partners such as DCU, NUI, Galway, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Tyndall National Institute, Cork, and industrial partners including Becton Dickinson & Co, Analog Devices Inc, Hospira Inc, Inverness Medical Innovations Inc, Enfer Technologies Ltd, and Amic AB (recently acquired by Johnson & Johnson, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Inc.).

“Biacore A100 is now an essential analytical tool in many large pharmaceutical and biotech companies due to its impressive data generation and analysis throughput without any loss in quality. We are proud to be the first academic research institute in Europe to have this technology available on-site. The investment from SFI is a reflection of the world-class research being undertaken at the BDI,” commented Prof. Brian MacCraith, Director, BDI. “The instrument will provide a link to the BDI’s biorecognition programme and will drastically reduce lead to application time.”

Biacore is a trademark of GE Healthcare. For more information please visit: www.biacore.com