Researchers at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Nederlands Kanker Instituut, NKI) have begun using Avacta Analytical’s Optim technology to study novel proteins. The instrument permits scientists to probe multiple protein stability-indicating parameters at high speed, using ultra-low sample volumes of proteins and other molecules.
The team has been studying how proteins interact with other proteins and DNA using in vitro protein characterization. They first became interested in the Optim instrument when they were struggling to measure the melting curve of a certain protein during one of their biophysical experiments, and integrated it in May 2013.
“The melting point data offers us a good indication of the quality of the proteins we express, as well as ensuring that they are stable and ‘happy’ under the conditions we plan to use in our biochemical assays, without excessive denaturation or aggregation,” says Dr Anastassis Perrakis, principal investigator in the Institute’s Structural Biology Group. “The biggest advantage for us is that the Optim instrument uses between 10 and 50 times less sample than competitive techniques, which is obviously a real benefit for downstream studies.”
For more information on the Optim technology, visit Avacta Analytical.
