Thermo Fisher Scientific announced innovative proteomics solutions and a series of co-marketing agreements with industry experts, advancing the throughput, comprehensiveness and quality of proteomics workflows for applications such as single-cell studies and translational research.

The company showcased these relationships, as well as new additions to its industry-leading offering of mass spectrometry (MS) and chromatography instruments, during the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) Reconnect event, being held virtually Nov. 15-19, 2021.

“Proteomics research has the potential to expand our scientific understanding and uncover new biomarkers to meet unmet medical needs,” says Andreas Huhmer, PhD, senior director, life sciences research omics marketing, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “While there has been significant progress in our ability to perform advanced analyses such as single-cell and translational proteomics, there are still improvements needed in the efficiency and reproducibility of workflows.”

Enhanced Quantitation Capabilities for High-Throughput Proteomics

Thermo Fisher is extending their co-marketing agreement with Biognosys, a developer of next-generation proteomics solutions, to provide laboratories performing high-throughput plasma analysis with innovative and streamlined instruments, kits, and software to enable efficient and accurate workflows at scale.

The PQ500 Reference Peptide Kit from Biognosys is able to quantify more than 500 proteins in human plasma/serum samples as part of the SureQuant IS-PRM workflow, enabled with the Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris 480 mass spectrometer, delivering sensitive and accurate quantitation to drive scientific progress or clinical decision making. Biognosys’ SpectroDive software extends research applications to targeted proteomics enabling automated MS method set-up, signal processing, and analysis of targeted experiments, such as the SureQuant IS-PRM workflow. 

New Liquid Chromatography Solution and Acquisition Strengthen Separations for Proteomics

The Thermo Scientific Vanquish Neo Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) System complements high-resolution Thermo Scientific Orbitrap mass spectrometry for proteomics analyses, minimizing sample loss and delivering the highest quality of data. The new system is designed for high-sensitivity LC-MS applications, with excellent analytical performance at flow rates from 1 nL/min to 100 µL/min up to 1500 bar. The separation capabilities and reproducibility of this all-in-one nano-, capillary- and micro-flow LC system will help users to overcome limitations of existing low-flow LC instruments.

Thermo Fisher has also extended its chromatography portfolio through the acquisition of Belgium-based PharmaFluidics, the developer of the μPAC range of micro-chip-based chromatography columns. The µPAC portfolio of columns enhance LC performance in biomarker, proteomics and drug research and development applications, helping biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies uncover new insights and advance scientific discovery.

Expanding Single-Cell Proteomics Workflow with Sample Preparation 

One of Thermo Fisher’s goals is to provide customers with a platform to effectively and efficiently analyze thousands of single cells. A co-marketing agreement between Thermo Fisher and Cellenion, experts in single-cell sample preparation solutions, will deliver a full workflow, from sample to results, for scientists performing single-cell proteomics analysis. Laborious sample preparation has typically held back single-cell MS methods.

To overcome this, Cellenion’s sample preparation solution, cellenONE, combines single-cell isolation and nanoliter dispensing to perform every step of the sample preparation using a single device. With single-cell proteomics providing vital information on the state of individual cells within heterogeneous environments, the combination of this sample preparation technology with Thermo Fisher’s TMT multiplexing technologies and Orbitrap mass spectrometers will open new doors for researchers.

Featured Image: The Thermo Scientific Vanquish Neo UHPLC System. Photo: Thermo Fisher