Jun 23 2010
Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) today introduced the first-of-its-kind Waters® ACQUITY UPLC® H-Class Bio System, expanding the scientific and business benefits of UPLC® Technology for macromolecule analysis by optimizing characterization of biomolecule structures supporting their progression to viable biotherapeutics.
ACQUITY UPLC® H-Class Bio System
"By nature of their complexity, large biomolecules present significant analytical challenges that have been uniquely addressed by the new ACQUITY UPLC H-Class Bio System," said Dr. Jeff Mazzeo, Biopharmaceutical Business Director for Waters Division. "During the recent introduction of Waters H-Class system, it became clear that the H-Class technology was not only the missing link between UPLC and HPLC, but it also had far reaching potential to address specific challenges in biotechnology. To that end, Waters purposefully built upon the engineering successes of the quaternary-based H-Class technology targeting biotech labs that want the performance of UPLC separations along with the flexibility to work with stock solvents. The new ACQUITY UPLC H-Class Bio System provides the ultimate in large molecule characterization enabling organizations to gather information on the true value of their possible therapeutic products."
Powered by the ACQUITY UPLC H-Class platform with a flow-through-needle sample manager and quaternary solvent manager, the new system performs multiple chromatographic techniques that are needed to characterize complex biomolecules. Additionally, it features an inert flow path, and leverages Waters AutoBlend Plus™ Technology to optimize the analysis of proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, and glycans.
Because of the complexity of any given large molecule, biochemists often must employ one or more chromatographic techniques to accurately separate and characterize any given sample. Powered by proven, reliable and robust UPLC capabilities, the ACQUITY UPLC H-Class Bio System has the flexibility to perform four chromatographic modes on a single system: reversed phase, ion exchange (IEX), size exclusion (SEC), and hydrophilic interaction (HILIC). Scientists can now perform all required assays for robust protein characterization on a single UPLC system.
For example, the ACQUITY UPLC H-Class Bio System is ideally paired with Waters' new bioseparations technology columns: the ACQUITY UPLC BEH200 SEC column, the first UPLC analytical size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) solution for the characterization of proteins and their aggregates, and the Protein-Pak™ Hi Res IEX column, designed for the analysis of biomolecules including monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, DNA/RNA, and vaccine components. These proprietary columns combine with the system to provide orthogonal analytical separations necessary to fully characterize a protein therapeutic.
In addition to system flexibility, UPLC users reported the need to design a new system with materials that address the unique challenges associated with macromolecule analysis. Accordingly, the ACQUITY UPLC H-Class Bio System is constructed with inert, corrosion resistant materials. Consequently, the system is uniquely suited for the high ionic strength aqueous conditions commonly used for protein separations. Additionally, the flow path has been tested to ensure that it minimizes undesirable protein interactions and leaching of materials into the mobile phase.
Finally, Waters AutoBlend technology is a key enabler to ensure mobile phase compositions and gradients are automatically blended to achieve the optimum retention and selectivity requirements. AutoBlend Plus is a patented software technique that maximizes separation selectivity by managing solvents and concentration gradients -- by percent gradient composition as well as by pH and ionic strength -- with the ACQUITY UPLC H-Class Bio System quaternary solvent manager. The system blends solvents and buffers on demand to optimize methods, and accurately transfer methods to other laboratories with minimal variability.
Source: http://www.waters.com/