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Biotech / Medical : PROTEOMICS -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mike McFarland who wrote (224)	3/22/2001 12:33:56 PM
From: nigel bates	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 539

March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Biosite Diagnostics Incorporated (Nasdaq: BSTE - news) today announced that it has developed a prototype for a protein microarray comprising 100 discrete antibody zones. This high throughput microarray utilizes the Company's proprietary microcapillary technology and is capable of identifying and quantifying up to 100 proteins in a sample within 15 minutes. The achievement will be highlighted today during a workshop to be conducted by Kenneth F. Buechler, Ph.D, Biosite's vice president of research and Gunars Valkirs, Ph.D., Biosite's vice president of research and development, during the IBC Protein Microarray Technology conference. The conference is being held from March 21 through March 23 in San Diego.* (Photo: newscom.com ) ``Many companies are attempting to develop protein microarrays, also known as protein chips, for use in the analytical study of proteins,'' said Dr. Buechler. ``Over the past three years we have commercialized our protein chip technology with limited arrays covering up to six discrete antibody zones. With the expansion to 100 discrete zones, we now believe the technology could be applicable to the large-scale quantification and profiling of thousands of proteins.'' Biosite's microarray was produced on the microfluidics protein chip currently used in production of the Company's Triage® Cardiac Panel and Triage BNP Test. The protein chip passively controls sample flow in microcapillaries utilizing Biosite's proprietary techniques. The microarray also incorporates Omniclonal(TM) antibodies developed by Biosite. The Company is currently manufacturing over 500,000 cardiac and BNP protein chips on an annualized basis. According to Dr. Buechler, the new generation microarray can measure up to 100 proteins from as little as 0.05 ml plasma or urine or 0.1ml whole blood. This equates to as little as 0.5 microliter to 1.0 microliter of sample per analyte measured. The analytical sensitivity is in the picomolar range. The measurement signal is derived from a fluorescence energy transfer system which yields a 90 nm Stokes shift, fluorescing in the near IR at 760 nm. The calibration of the assays is performed at the time of manufacture at the factory and is stable for the life of the product, which is currently up to eight months at 4 degrees Celsius. In January 2001, Biosite announced a technology alliance with Large Scale Biology Corporation (Nasdaq: LSBC - news) with plans to generate the antibody and protein target components required to produce the first generation of commercial protein chips. Protein chips are research tools for measuring large numbers of proteins in biological samples and are expected to become the preferred technology for high-volume applications such as clinical research, diagnostics and toxicology. Under the collaboration, LSBC, through its wholly-owned proteomics subsidiary expects to provide 2,000-5,000 protein targets from its Human Protein Index(TM) (HPI(TM)) and other proteomics programs, as well as expressed proteins produced with its proprietary GENEWARE® technology. Biosite, through its Biosite Discovery business, will use its proprietary high throughput Omniclonal(TM) phage display technology to generate high affinity antibodies to the targets, enabling creation of antibody arrays in a variety of formats, including chips. The companies intend to pursue commercial research opportunities in the protein chip market by making a broad antibody and target package available to partners. ``This important achievement brings LSBC and Biosite an additional step closer to realizing the commercial objectives of our collaboration,'' said Leigh Anderson, Ph.D., LSBC's chief scientific officer. ``The first phase of our collaboration with LSBC is focussed on the development of the biological content to be used in protein chips,'' said Dr. Valkirs. ``LSBC plans to identify protein targets and Biosite will produce the antibodies used to detect and measure those targets. In addition, we are continuing to evaluate Biosite's protein chip technology, as well as others' technologies, in determining how to potentially commercialize microarrays that will best meet the needs of the market.''