Lucid Proteomics System™ from Bio-Rad and Bruker Combines Top-Down and Bottom-Up Proteomics to Improve Biomarker Discovery

Date: 
2009-10-08

Hercules, CA and Billerica, MA— September 26, 2009 — Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb), a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research and clinical diagnostic products, and Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR), a leading manufacturer of mass spectrometry (MS) instruments, today announced the launch of the Lucid Proteomics System™, the first system to combine top-down and bottom-up proteomics approaches for biomarker discovery. With both techniques available on one platform, the Lucid Proteomics System accelerates biomarker research programs, improving the chances of discovering biomarkers that have clinical relevance.

In the past, researchers have been limited by protein biomarker discovery systems that have required a choice between top-down and bottom-up methods. Top-down proteomics enables processing of native biological samples, critical for the detection and identification of intact proteins and peptides under 30 kilodaltons (kDa). This approach leads to the discovery of biologically generated protein cleavages and posttranslational modifications as potential biomarkers. The main advantage of the widely used bottom-up approach (proteolytic digestion of proteins prior to mass spectrometry analysis) is the ability to achieve high-resolution separations. Although this method has proven successful for profiling and identifying proteins, researchers continue to face challenges when screening for biomarkers, particularly for candidates under 30 kDa.

"To date, very few biomarkers discovered by mass spectrometry have survived through the validation process and were therefore moved into the clinic," said Julie Hey, Marketing Manager, Protein Detection Business Unit at Bio-Rad Laboratories. "One approach alone may not provide sufficient characterization of the proteome of interest or include enough samples to yield results that are statistically significant."

The Lucid Proteomics System combines Bio-Rad's ProteinChip® surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI)-based array technology with Bruker's ultrafleXtreme matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) mass spectrometer. The top-down solution includes high-throughput protein profiling and identification of biomarker candidates, either by direct on-chip TOF/TOF analysis suitable for small peptides or by enrichment, purification, and digestion followed by TOF/TOF analysis for larger proteins. For the bottom-up approach, Bruker's ultrafleXtreme MALDI-TOF/TOF offers unmatched performance with high sensitivity, resolution, and mass accuracy.

"I typically perform discovery studies on clinical samples using a top-down strategy," said John Whitin, Ph.D., Cohen Lab in the Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, School of Medicine. "However, we have also been working on a better method for purifying phosphopeptides for subsequent analysis, and these studies follow the bottom-up approach. The Lucid Proteomics System gives me the ability to tackle both problems."

The Lucid Proteomics System is comprised of the following components from Bio-Rad and Bruker:

  • Lucid™ profiling access pack — includes array holders, system license, software, system qualification kit, ProteinChip arrays, buffers, and accessories required to perform SELDI-based protein profiling
  • Lucid ID access pack — includes array holder, system license, consumables, protocols, and guidelines necessary to perform protein and peptide identification
  • ultrafleXtreme MALDI TOF/TOF mass spectrometer (or autoflex series) — configured for ProteinChip SELDI products

Other key features include:

  • Methods for easy and robust protein profiling across the entire mass range
  • Intuitive protein profiling software that incorporates many facets of the biomarker analysis workflow, from tracking clinical information from patients through statistical determination of viable biomarker candidates
  • Quality control standards to ensure experimental reproducibility

About the Lucid Proteomics System
The Lucid Proteomics System combines and refines surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) from Bio-Rad and time-of-flight (TOF/TOF) technologies from Bruker, enabling both top-down and bottom-up proteomics approaches for biomarker discovery on one system. The system offers new solutions for protein biomarker discovery, in particular, high-throughput profiling and high-confidence identification of intact peptides and proteins under 30 kDa, which are challenging for current technologies to identify. For more information, visit www.lucidproteomics.com.

About Bio-Rad
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb), has remained at the center of scientific discovery for more than 50 years, manufacturing and distributing a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. Bio-Rad is renowned worldwide among hospitals, universities, major research institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for its commitment to quality and customer service. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is headquartered in Hercules, California, and serves more than 85,000 research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs over 6,500 people globally and had revenues exceeding $1.7 billion in 2008. For more information, visit www.bio-rad.com.

About Bruker Daltonics
Bruker Daltonics is a leading manufacturer of mass spectrometry (MS) instruments and accessories for life science, pharmaceutical, biochemical, and chemical research as well as for applied analytical tasks in forensics and food safety. Technical solutions are based on a comprehensive range of MALDI-TOF/TOF, ESI-Qq-TOF, ESI-ITMS, and ESI/MALDI-FTMS mass spectrometry systems, as well as automated sample handling systems and productivity enhancing software. For more information about Bruker Daltonics and Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR), please visit www.bdal.com and www.bruker.com.

This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "intend," "estimate," "continue," or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. For further information regarding the Company's risks and uncertainties, please refer to the "Risk Factors" in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect an analysis only and speak only as of the date hereof. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For more information contact:
Julie Hey
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
510-741-5283
Julie_Hey@bio-rad.com