Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, and Professor Bruno Domon, director of the new Luxembourg Clinical Proteomics unit (LCP), announced on April 22 a collaboration to develop workflows that overcome current bottlenecks in biomarker discovery and assay development for clinical proteomics research. The LCP is funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche and is hosted at Public Research Centre for Health (CRP-Santé).

Thermo Fisher has collaborated with Bruno Domon since 2007, and previous joint work has led to the development of original and exciting proteomics approaches for biomarker discovery and verification. Foremost among these is the cutting-edge intelligent Selected Reaction Monitoring (iSRM) technology now incorporated within the Thermo Scientific TSQ family of triple quadrupole mass spectrometers. iSRM reduces acquisition times for each peptide analyzed in a peptide biomarker panel, allowing both improved quantification and confirmation of the identity of the peptide being quantified. In addition to his part in developing iSRM, Bruno Domon was a primary scientific contributor to the Thermo Scientific Pinpoint software, which simplifies the creation of quantitative peptide assays on Thermo Scientific TSQ mass spectrometers and allows researchers to leverage knowledge acquired in previous qualitative proteomics discovery experiments.

Bruno Domon was recently appointed director of LCP initiative at CRP- Sant. He has established a biomarker research group that is active in clinical proteomics with a strong focus today on biomarker verification and plans to encompass metabolomics in the near future. The CRP-Sant research group will employ the recently introduced Thermo Scientific LTQ Orbitrap Velos hybrid mass spectrometer equipped with electron transfer dissociation (ETD) for biomarker discovery. This latest-generation hybrid linear ion trap-Orbitrap instrument is more accurate, faster and more sensitive than older generation LTQ Orbitrap instruments. It enables the massive, rapid and accurate identification of proteins in complex mixtures and the characterization of post-translational modifications. These capabilities are central to the creation of a second-generation biomarker discovery and validation workflow. In addition, the group will utilize the Thermo Scientific TSQ Vantage triple stage quadrupole mass spectrometer for fast, sensitive, accurate and reliable targeted protein quantification, and it will use Pinpoint software for rapid, automated assay development. The Thermo Scientific Exactive benchtop LC/MS mass spectrometer, which leverages proven Orbitrap technology, will be employed for biomarker profiling analyses.

"As a market leader in the development of tools for proteomics research, Thermo Fisher was the clear choice for collaborating on these clinical projects, said Bruno Domon. By joining forces, I hope to build on our results to further develop workflows that will enable researchers to overcome challenges in biomarker discovery and verification."

"Bruno Domon is a leading researcher in proteomics, and his academic and industrial experience complements Thermo Fishers commitment to producing proteomics solutions," said Ian Jardine, vice president of global R&D for Thermo Fisher Scientific. "This collaboration provides a unique opportunity for the company to expand its role in the development of cutting-edge biomarker research tools and consolidate its presence within the EU."

The newly established biomarker research group within CRP-Sant is part of a wider effort in Luxembourg to develop projects that are at the forefront of biomedical research. This effort includes the Integrated Biobank (IBBL) of Luxembourg, a state-of-the-art tissue storage and distribution initiative designed to help a worldwide network of cancer scientists and other disease researchers find answers to the worlds most pressing health problems.

Overall, the Luxembourg government-led initiative, launched in 2008, is expected to support the development of cutting-edge skills and expertise in the field of molecular medicine. The objective is not only to strengthen the national research effort and benefit the countrys healthcare system, but also to foster the diversification of Luxembourgs economic fabric in a promising and fast-growing sector. The research collaboration between Thermo Fisher Scientific and CRP-Sant substantiates this strategy and constitutes a first important milestone towards its implementation.

Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific