The long overdue -- but perhaps timely -- take on CIPH. Part I:
CIPH is the commercial if not technological leader in protein chip systems. It uses a variation of MS called Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization (SELDI), which enables the analysis of biological with minimal preparation -- almost directly. Pretty much slap the sample onto the chip, where the important proteins are chemically anchored. The other stuff can be quickly washed off. This compares to the digestion and separation steps required for MS. Also, throughput can be much higher than MS.
The pioneering work in this area was done in part by former employee William Hutchens, whose company -- LumiCyte -- licensed the technology to CIPH. This is now a bone of contention. Hutchens now claims CIPH is doing things beyond the scope of the license and is suing. Being a major shareholder, he is also selling. My notes on this are in
Message 16011215
The stakes seem small, and I believe that of the two, it is the selling, not the suit, that is holding CIPH down. This post contains some DD links including the insider action:
Message 15970990
Note that Hutchens has been willing to sell at very low prices. He still has about 2 million shares. The VC have joined in to some extent. However, institutional stakes have increased to some 23% as of the end of Q1.
Plenty of competitors nipping at CIPH's heels with various technologies:
>>Pharmacogenomics 2000 Nov;1(4):395-416
Recent trends in protein biochip technology.
Weinberger SR, Morris TS, Pawlak M.
Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc., 6611 Dumbarton Circle, Fremont, CA 94555, USA. sweinberger@ciphergen.com
This article presents current trends and advances in protein biochip technologies that rely upon extraction and retention of target proteins from liquid media. Analytical strengths as well as technical challenges for these evolving platforms are presented with particular emphasis on selectivity, sensitivity, throughput and utility in the post-genome era. A general review of protein biochip technology is provided, which delineates approaches for protein biochip format and operation, as well as protein detection. A focused discussion of three protein biochip technologies, Biomolecular Interaction Analysis (Biacore, Uppsala, Sweden), Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionisation (SELDI) ProteinChip Arrays (Ciphergen Biosystems, Fremont, CA, USA) and Fluorescent Planar Wave Guide (Zeptosens, Witterswil, Switzerland), follows along with examples of relevant applications.
Google turned up these when queried about protein chips.
Zyomyx, LumiCyte (Hutchens) (uses Seldi), Phylos, Gyros, Protiveris, Genopia, CAT, OGS, LSBC, Graffinity, S.R. Clarke, Molecular Staging, Biocept, Biodynamix, GeneMaster Biotechnology, Genomic Solutions, Aprotea (sangamo?), Biacore, Zeptosens
Here's some links to some of the competing chips; the last one from Biacore is for folks who want to study their approach more thoroughly, but they also has some relevance to other approaches:
phylos.com
zeptosens.com
zyomyx.com
graffinity.com
biacore.se
biacore.com
Some of us are familiar with a few of these (LSBC, OGS & CAT, MSI, Phylos, etc.) BiaCore actually has product out there, though it's not exactly a protein chip per se. Ditto GNSL. CIPH undoubtedly has the largest installed base of commercial protein chip systems, however.
They have almost $100 million in cash (~$3.70/sh) and are currently burning about $8 million per quarter. Unless things go badly, they shouldn't have to dilute (we have Mr. Hutchens for that purpose <g>). Nor have they warned, and they announce on the 26th, a big earnings day for tool companies (ABI, IVGN, & BIOa also reporting then).
Part II follows . . .
Cheers, Tuck |
