Image Analyser used at Major US Pain Research Centre Improves Accuracy of Detecting Proteins Associated with Spinal Cord Injury
20th May 2008 Cambridge, UK: Syngene, a world-leading manufacturer of image analysis solutions, is delighted to announce that a specialist US medical institute, the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centre (DHMC), is significantly improving detection of proteins associated with spinal cord injuries, using a G:BOX Chemi HR16, Syngene’s innovative fluorescence and chemiluminescence image analyser.

Scientists in the Department of Anesthesiology at DHMC are using a G:BOX Chemi HR16, supplied by New England BioGroup, LLC (Syngene’s exclusive representative in New England) to image Western blots of HRP labelled proteins that are involved in inflammatory processes, (p-ERK, total-ERK, MKP1, NOS2, IL-1 and TNFa) isolated from neonatal cortical microglial cells treated with new drugs, post peripheral nerve injury. By identifying a protein’s presence, DHMC researchers hope to determine which drugs most effectively treat the pain caused by peripheral nerve injury.

Dr Edgar Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, Instructor of Anesthesiology at the DHMC explained: “Pain following peripheral nerve injury often responds poorly to available therapies, which is why we are looking at new drugs to treat it. To do this we use expensive rat primary cell cultures that yield little protein and were using a laser scanner to image our Westerns but could not detect the microgram amounts of proteins we had, as there was so much background.”

Dr Romero-Sandoval added: “We switched to a G:BOX Chemi HR16 because it allows us to adjust exposure conditions, (something we couldn’t do with our laser scanner) to detect these tiny protein amounts. Using a G:BOX Chemi HR16 has improved the sensitivity of imaging our Western blots so much, we have been able to reduce the detecting antibody concentration by 2-4 fold and significantly lowered reagent costs. Additionally, with a G:BOX we can strip our membranes several times and are still able to detect different proteins using the same blot derived from the same experiment and cell culture.”

Paula Maia, Vice President of Sales, Syngene US stated: "We are pleased our G:BOX Chemi HR16 system is being utilised in such important pre-clinical studies. The research at the DHMC demonstrates to any lab trying to maximise accuracy of protein detection, while minimising costs that choosing a G:BOX Chemi HR16 system will be a decision without compromise.”

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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: www.syngene.com 

Lou Farrell, New England BioGroup, PO Box 1231 Atkinson, NH 03811-1231, USA.
Tel: + 603-362-8887 Fax: + 603-251-0731
E-mail: lou.farrell@nebiogroup.com  Web: www.nebiogroup.com 

Edgar Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, M.D., Ph.D. Dartmouth College, Department of Anesthesiology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, HB 7125, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
Tel: +603-650-6205 Fax: + 603-650-8449
Email: Edgar.A.Romero-Sandoval@dartmouth.edu  Web: www.dhmc.org

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 40 people in its UK and subsidiary operation in Frederick, USA.

About New England BioGroup, LLC

New England BioGroup is dedicated to supplying high quality instruments, services, software, and consumables to life science researchers in biopharmaceutical companies, universities, and other research institutions located in New England and the rest of the U.S. It is the company's mission to position scientists to advance their research and accelerate discovery. To achieve this goal, NE BioGroup have partnered with a small, select group of manufacturers, enabling NE BioGroup staff to provide fast and specialised service.

About the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) is a nationally ranked academic medical centre, in Lebanon, N.H. The Department of Anesthesiology at the DHMC combines highly productive basic science and clinical research focusing on acute and chronic pain, as well as glucocorticoid control of systemic inflammatory responses. The quality and importance of this research is underscored by the numerous grants the Department of Anesthesiology has been awarded by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations.