Bio-Rad’s MicroRotorfor cell instrument enables scientists to enrich low abundance proteins for biomarker discovery
27 Jul 2006
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (AMEX: BIO and BIOb), a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research products and clinical diagnostics, today announced the capability of its MicroRotofor™ cell instrument to enrich low-abundance proteins for biomarker discovery.
Biomarker discovery requires the ability to dig deeper into the proteome to find proteins that are of relatively low-abundance. The effective study of low-abundance proteins often requires a fractionation step to reduce sample complexity and improve the concentration of low-abundance proteins.
With the MicroRotofor cell, formerly undetectable proteins can be enriched to levels that allow analysis by 2-D gel electrophoresis/mass spectrometry (2-D/MS) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), methods that are commonly used in proteomics for the separation and identification of proteins. The MicroRotofor cell is applied upstream of both 2-D/MS and LC-MS/MS workflows.
About the MicroRotofor Cell Instrument
The MicroRotofor cell is a preparative isoelectric focusing device that fractionates complex protein samples in free solution. Whether used alone or as a part of a broader separation or purification scheme, the MicroRotofor cell offers rapid, simple, and effective fractionation and the enrichment of proteins from complex protein mixtures.
The majority of proteomics research, whether gel-based or another approach is used, requires fractionation to increase protein resolution for downstream experimentation. The MicroRotofor cell fractionates by liquid-phase IEF, which is particularly beneficial for proteins that are insoluble or otherwise do not separate well in other, gel-based IEF media.
Key benefits of fractionation:
- Allows researchers to enrich low-abundance proteins
- Reduces sample complexity
- Increases the effective protein sample load
- Increases sample resolution and dynamic range of detection