Digest-Protex-MS - Epitope Analyzer

Proteins are specifically recognized and bound by antibodies. However, the binding itself only occurs through short specific peptide segments, known as epitopes, whose structure and binding affinity are decisive for the specificity of an antibody. Antibodies are becoming progressively developed and used as highly specific therapeutics or diagnostics. In many cases, the binding epitopes are not molecularly characterized. Methods for analyzing epitopes are therefore of great medical and pharmacological interest.

In cooperation with the Steinbeis Innovation Center for Biopolymer Analysis in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the prototypical development of a novel online device combination for selective proteolysis and mass spectrometric identification of biopolymer interaction epitopes has been successfully completed. The overall system consists of a protolysis robot with a double valve system and an integrated desalination microcolumn for coupling mass spectrometric and SPR analysis. Analysis is performed using integrated ESI mass spectrometry for epitope peptide identification and parallel SPR for affinity determination. The new epitope analyzer enables simultaneous, label-free analysis of biomolecular samples with regard to their binding and interaction properties.

The system is operated at the Bioanalytics Innovation Center, and HB Technologies AG is looking for marketing partners for a series system.