Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc. (IBI) announced an alliance to codevelop and market a mass spectrometry solution that will enable researchers to perform quantitative, high-throughput, high-resolution protein biomarker assays. The solution couples the specificity ofimmunoenrichment with the sensitivity and quantitative capability of mass spectrometry to provide researchers with a more complete, higher-resolution view of the proteome. Initially, via an exclusive reseller agreement, the solution will be applied to the detection of human parathyroid hormone (PTH) and its variants, which may be useful as biomarkers for bone diseases and diseases of the endocrine system.
As part of the arrangement, Thermo Fisher Scientific will integrate IBI’s proprietary immunoenrichment technology with Thermo Scientific automated sample handling and mass spectrometer systems. Scientists at the Biomarkers Initiatives in Mass Spectrometry (BRIMS) Center, a Thermo Fisher Scientific center of excellence, will collaborate with IBI to develop a mass spectrometric immunoassay (MSIA) workflow for research laboratories. Thermo Fisher Scientific will market, distribute and support the solution and the workflow.
IBI’s proprietary immunoenrichment technology is based on its patented pipette tip that integrates a high-throughput, high-binding-capacity microcolumn activated with antibodies. This technology addresses one of the key challenges of biomarker discovery and validation, the isolation and analysis of very low-abundance proteins such as PTH in complex biological matrices. Conventional approaches involving depletion of interfering high-abundance proteins are timeconsuming and introduce analytical variability. Compared to other immunoenrichment approaches, IBI’s approach offers more effective capture of low-abundance proteins.