SmartBead places the
UltraPlex system with UK's largest, independent analytical laboratory
8 October 2002. SmartBead
Technologies Ltd. announced today the landmark delivery of its UltraPlex
system to its first officially announced collaborator LGC, which is the
UK's leading independent provider of analytical and diagnostic services.
"Having installed the first UltraPlex system with an end user is a
significant milestone for SmartBead and also for the life sciences
industries," said Robert Booth, Chief Executive Officer. "It is
a major step in the commercialisation of barcoded, multiplexed solutions
that will enable end users, to pursue research and development work of new
products and services more rapidly and efficiently. Multiplexing
technologies will play a key role in breakthroughs in drug development and
diagnostics."
The installation of the UltraPlex system is part of the
"Comparability of microarray measurements" project involving a
consortium of commercial and research organisations headed up by LGC. The
DTI funded study aims to understand the key issues involved in moving from
conventional immunoassay methods (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay,
ELISA) to 3D protein microarrays. "The access to the UltraPlex system
will allow LGC to utilise cutting edge technology" said Dr Carole
Foy, Project Manager.
LGC and SmartBead are also investigating further collaborations, which go
hand in hand with both companies' goal of developing new technologies and
solutions for the life science and health care industry.
UltraPlex comprises barcoded microparticles, attachment technologies and
instrumentation. The image based reader utilises proprietary software for
the detection of microparticles individual optical barcodes. The power of
the UltraPlex system lies in its flexibility to allow researchers to
easily produce customised, barcoded multiplexed assays, speeding up drug
development and diagnostics as well as in broader research areas in
proteomics. We have moved the barcode from the reagent bottle to the
reagent.
About SmartBead Technologies Ltd
SmartBead has developed a microparticle array technology, UltraPlex,
based on barcoded microparticles, which, in effect barcodes molecules.
SmartBead will be a preferred solution provider of these multiplexing
technologies for the drug development and diagnostics industries and will
lead the way in new approaches to analysing multiple parameters through
barcoded bioassays. SmartBead was founded to exploit technology originally
developed by Sentec Ltd, a Cambridge, UK company, and the Cavendish
Laboratories, University of Cambridge.
For more information, please see www.smartbead.com
or contact Christian Bunke at christianbunke@smartbead.com
.
About LGC
LGC is the UK's leading analytical laboratory, offering a
comprehensive range of research, validation and consultancy services
across a range of business sectors including Food and Agriculture, Life
Sciences and Forensic, Environment, Pharmaceuticals, Reference Materials
and Healthcare/Consumer protection. With headquarters in London,
specialist laboratories across the UK and an expanding network of regional
offices throughout Europe and India, LGC maintains a position as a centre
of excellence at the forefront of analytical science.
For more information, please see www.lgc.co.uk
or contact Dr Carole Foy at Carole.Foy@lgc.co.uk
