Bonn, Germany – SAW Instruments GmbH, has announced that the official European launch of its new sam®X biosensor will take place at MipTec 2011, Basel, Switzerland (20-22nd September). This high-end system is the latest addition to the SAW biosensor product family, providing several new workflow-driven key features which further expand the number of channels to 8, and the ability to address these channels individually or in combinations. The company will be exhibiting the sam®X at booth A49, where their application specialists will be on hand to demonstrate the system in action.

To allow researchers to discover the advantages and differences of the sam®X forthemselves, personal demonstration slots will be available, which can be reserved before the event via the SAW website. The company will also present a poster at MipTec 2011, entitled “Binding Kinetics of Therapeutic Antibodies to Native Proteins on Living Cells”, which describes exciting recent work carried out in collaboration with one of SAW’s industrial partners. For more information on the innovative sam® biosensor range, visit booth A49 or see www.sawinstruments.de.

Notes on the technology

Surface Acoustic Wave technology is based on the ability of a wave of energy to travel across the surface of a material. Each surface has a typical inherent elasticity affecting the way the energy of the wave dissipates as it travels across the surface of the material being analysed. Thus, the nature of the surface in question, and therefore any changes to it, can be assessed by sensors monitoring the behaviour of the wave as it propagates across the surface. In particular, changes in mass result in alterations to the phase of the wave, whilst viscoelastic and conformational characteristics influence wave amplitude. The technology developed and employed by SAW instruments is capable of accurately interpreting this information in order to provide real time readouts measuring binding and conformational changes in the samples through which the wave passes.

About SAW Instruments GmbH

SAW Instruments GmbH designs, develops and sells biosensor-based laboratory instruments for life sciences research. The proprietary technology of SAW Instruments employs a Surface Acoustic Waves approach to biological measurement, rather than using traditional optical methods such as SPR. The technology is uniquely positioned compared to other biosensor technologies based on its ability to measure conformational changes in cells, membranes and vesicles. In addition, the system is also capable of providing other industry standard measurements including those involving kinetics, quantitation and affinity.

SAW instruments has more than ten years experience in the field of label-free biosensor technology and a number of our customers have successfully published work employing the platform. It is our goal is to continue to build on this experience, as well as to develop a family of workflow-driven products to further meet our customers’ needs.