Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A - news) and Caliper Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: CALP - news) today announced the introduction of the Protein 200 LabChip® kit for the automated sizing and analysis of protein samples.
Used together with the Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer, the Protein 200 LabChip kit, featuring Caliper's LabChip technology, speeds and simplifies the analysis of a wide variety of different protein samples including cell lysates, column fractions, and purified proteins. Applications range from basic research to identification of potential drug targets to biopharmaceutical production.
The new protein kit significantly enhances throughput for protein sample analysis. Each LabChip kit enables the complete analysis of 10 protein samples in less than a half hour, 5-10 times faster than traditional gel-based techniques. The LabChip format eliminates the laborious manual staining and destaining steps required with traditional SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. With the vital integration of these processes, the technology is a step closer to a complete laboratory-on-a-chip.
Compared with gels, the chip format also allows for real-time data acquisition and efficient sample comparison. This feature is especially important for proteins, as sample quality can vary widely. Automated software extracts size and protein purity from the real-time digital data which is displayed both visually in a simulated gel image and in exportable report formats.
``LabChip technology is a component of Millennium's strategy to build our leadership position in the industry as a technology innovator and apply cutting-edge technologies to the future of drug development,'' said Craig Muir, vice president, process technology, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts. ``We are using Agilent 2100 bioanalyzers to assist in improving the efficiency and quality of our drug discovery and development processes. This technology may play a role in streamlining our efforts to develop and commercialize important new therapeutics and predictive medicine products.''
The Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer is now offered with five LabChip kits including three for the high-resolution analysis of DNA samples, such as PCR products and restriction digest fragments, one for the analysis of RNA samples typically used in gene expression applications, and the new protein assay. Each kit is packaged complete and ready to use.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The Protein 200 LabChip kit will be available in the United States, Japan and Europe and can be ordered directly through an Agilent sales office. The price of the 25 chip kit is $500.
Information about Agilent's lab-on-a-chip products can be found on the Web at www.agilent.com/chem/labonachip. Information about Caliper's LabChip technology and products can be found on the Web at www.calipertech.com. |
