National Heart and Lung Institute Uses G:BOX Chemi HR16 Imager To Help Identify Proteins Associated with Heart Disease

October 30th 2007: Cambridge, UK: Syngene, a world-leading manufacturer of image analysis solutions, is pleased to announce that the G:BOX Chemi HR16, its innovative imaging system, is being used at major UK research centre, the National Heart & Lung Institute (NHLI), to assist in identifying proteins associated with cardio-myopathy.

Researchers at the NHLI are using the G:BOX Chemi HR16 system fitted with a 9-position filter wheel to visualise 1D gels of proteins stained with Pro-Q® Diamond, SYPRO® Ruby and Pro-Q® Emerald (Invitrogen). These images are then being analysed with GeneTools, Syngene’s market leading software to quantify the amounts of phosphorylated and glycosylated proteins present in diseased human and mouse heart tissues. The results of this research could ultimately help to determine which proteins are associated with different cardiac diseases.

Dr Clare Gallon, a Research Associate in Cardiac Medicine at the NHLI said: ”We routinely use the G:BOX Chemi HR16 many times a day for imaging a variety of fluorescently stained proteins from cellular heart extracts. The system provides excellent sensitivity allowing us to see even very small amounts of expressed proteins, and using the GeneTools software, image analysis is rapid, making it easy for us to obtain accurate results immediately.”

“We are so pleased with the performance of the G:BOX Chemi HR16 that we have had a Qdot filter fitted to extend the system’s future application range to imaging different coloured Qdot labelled proteins on single Western blots,” added Dr Gallon.

Laura Sullivan, Syngene’s Divisional Manager stated: “The G:BOX Chemi HR16 is one of our newer imaging systems so we are delighted it is being regularly used at such an internationally respected centre. The National Heart and Lung Institute is well known for producing high quality research and it is a ringing endorsement of the system’s excellent performance to see the G:BOX Chemi HR16 becoming an integral part of critical studies to identify proteins associated with heart disease.”

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For Further Information Contact:
Jayne Arthur, Syngene, Beacon House, Nuffield Road, Cambridge, CB4 1TF, UK.
Tel: +44(0) 1223-727123 Fax +44 (0) 1223-727101
Email: jayne.arthur@syngene.com  Web site: www.syngene.com 

Dr Clare E Gallon, Cardiac Medicine, Imperial College London, National Heart and Lung Institute, Guy Scadding Building, Dovehouse Street, London SW3 6LY, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7352 8121 Ext. 3309 Fax: +44 (0)20 7823 3392
Email: c.gallon@imperial.ac.uk  Web site: www.imperial.ac.uk/medicine

Editor Contact:
Dr Sue Pearson, PO Box 170, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 3GD, UK.
Tel/Fax +44 (0) 1462-635327 Email: sue6.pearson@ntlworld.com

Note to Editors

About Syngene

Syngene is a world-leading supplier of integrated imaging solutions for analysis and documentation of gel-based information. Syngene’s systems are used by more than 10,000 research organisations and over 50,000 individual scientists world-wide and include many of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies and major research institutes.

Syngene, founded in 1997 is a division of the Cambridge based Synoptics Group. The Group’s other divisions, Syncroscopy and Synbiosis, specialise in digital imaging solutions for microscopy and microbial applications respectively. Synoptics currently employs 50 people in its UK and subsidiary operation in Frederick, USA.

About the National Heart and Lung Institute

The National Heart and Lung Institute is a division of Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine and is closely associated with Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Harefield Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital. Together they form the largest specialist research, teaching and clinical centre for the study and treatment of heart, lung and vascular disease in the United Kingdom.