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Advancing biopharma and life science research workflows

Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced the new Agilent 6560C Ion Mobility LC/Q-TOF, enhancements to the VWorks automation software suite, and new AssayMAP large capacity cartridges. These solutions were on display at the American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference (ASMS), held October 31 - November 4, 2021, in Philadelphia, PA. These products improve the analysis of proteins and peptides to speed up the development of new protein-based therapeutics in biopharma.

As the market for protein biotherapeutics expands, pressure increases to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the development process. Researchers need more powerful, insightful instrumentation and software, as well as automation. There is also more focus on regulatory compliance, requiring organizations to maintain data integrity. These new Agilent products address specific stages of the development workflow, from sample preparation to secure protocols, and software to complex protein structural analysis.

“By expanding our instrument portfolio, software solutions, and sample preparation capabilities, Agilent delivers significant value for the development of biotherapeutics in this fast-growing market, allowing for deeper characterization of proteins,” said  Sudharshana Seshadri, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Mass Spectrometry Division. “These introductions reinforce Agilent’s commitment to supporting and enhancing the speed of discovery and development of novel protein biotherapeutics to improve the quality of life.”

Brandon Ruotolo, professor of chemistry at the University of Michigan, agrees and is already seeing benefits from the new Collision Induced Unfolding (CIU) capability. “The CIU technology has been transformative for my research,” said Ruotolo. He added, “It has greatly enhanced our ability to develop rapid, structurally sensitive assays targeting systems ranging from large protein assemblies to biotherapeutic antibodies. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

The new 6560C Ion Mobility Q-TOF adds new capabilities that enhance flexibility and performance over its predecessors for more precise measurements of large protein complexes such as biotherapeutic antibodies and large protein assemblies. Protein folding and structural analysis are now possible by CIU, and HRdm 2.0 postprocessing generates IM resolution of up to 250.

New features of the VWorks 14.1 automation software suite enhance support for 21 CFR Part 11 and Annex 11 with e-signatures and secure protocols for AssayMAP. VWorks 14.1 offers seamless adoption of automation and the Bravo platform into regulated environments to improve sample throughput, enhance reproducibility and reduce errors. 

The AssayMAP large capacity cartridges extend the portfolio of available chemistries with the introduction of Protein A affinity purification cartridges and reversed-phase cartridges for antibody enrichment and peptide cleanup, respectively. These products enable automated sample preparation upstream of multiple critical quality analyses across the biotherapeutic development process.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent is a leader in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets, delivering innovative technology solutions that provide trusted answers to researchers’ most challenging scientific questions. The company generated revenue of $5.34 billion in fiscal year 2020 and employs 16,400 people worldwide.

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