Agilent, University Of Rouen, A*STAR To Collaborate In Glycomics

Agilent, the University of Rouen, and A*STAR have signed an MOU to develop tools to effectively analyze biologics and vaccines.

AsianScientist (May 27, 2013) – Agilent Technologies Inc., the University of Rouen in France, and the Bioprocessing Technology Institute at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to develop tools to effectively analyze biologics and vaccines.

Biologics are molecules such as antibodies, growth factors, and other recombinant protein based therapeutics, which, along with vaccines, are used as treatments in cancers, immune disorders, and infectious diseases. These therapeutic agents are typically produced by bioprocesses using living cells as factories for their production.

Unlike small molecule drugs, biologics produced by cells are typically more heterogeneous in structure, most notably in glycosylation, which is the modification of protein drugs by sugars (also known as glycans). Sugars are known to prolong the half-life of biologic drugs, thereby reducing the frequency and dosage of drugs given to human patients.

The three institutes will work together to develop innovative analytical techniques to ensure the safety and efficacy of the products. BTI is currently working to develop methods of producing and analyzing these biologics in animal cells while the University of Rouen’s Glyco-MEV laboratory specializes in the production of those molecules in plant systems.

“This research initiative enables scientists to optimize glycan analytical workflows on the Agilent HPLC-Chip/MS system,” said Dr. Rudolf Grimm, Agilent’s director of science and technology and manager of collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region. “We look forward to working with these leading organizations to drive discovery in this important field.”

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Source: A*STAR.
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