The Asynt DrySyn SnowStorm System Provides Improved Reaction Reproducibility for Drug Discovery Services

Sygnature Discovery (Nottingham, UK) has been using an Asynt DrySyn SnowStorm system to perform low temperature reactions which have traditionally been difficult to undertake reproducibly on a small to medium scale.

The Asynt DrySyn SnowStorm offers an attractive solution to laboratories undertaking low temperature reaction chemistries. Available in a choice of configurations, the DrySyn SnowStorm system provides controlled cooling and heating for sub-ambient parallel chemistry without the need for jacketed reaction vessels, or ice baths. Operating with a suitable chiller / circulator, a DrySyn SnowStorm system provides accurate, stable temperature control down to -50 °C and up to +150 °C.

Dr Geraint Jones, Associate Director of Chemistry at Sygnature Discovery commented, "Being able to maintain a sub-ambient temperature sometimes for significant periods is really important for reaction reproducibility. The DrySyn SnowStorm connects to an external chiller unit and holds temperatures at a set-point for as long as is required. Setting temperature ramping profiles is also possible which is important in optimization studies and is a real added benefit to us"

His colleague Mark Mills, Senior Research Chemist at Sygnature Discovery added, "We purchased the DrySyn SnowStorm to achieve tight temperature control (at -20°C) for a reaction involving a stereoselective cyclisation. If we had not been able to maintain this temperature for a sustained period, racemisation could have occurred. We selected this Asynt equipment because it integrated well into our way of working and allowed the use of round-bottomed flasks in a variety of sizes, thereby providing the flexibility to conduct small to medium scale reactions".

Sygnature Discovery, founded in 2004 in Nottingham, UK, is a leading provider of integrated drug discovery services to pharmaceutical / biotech companies and academic institutions located in Europe and the USA. The company employs over 90 laboratory-based, industry-experienced PhD medicinal chemists, computational chemists and in vitro biologists. Through its unique ‘federated’ CRO model, Sygnature undertakes complete drug discovery programmes and hit finding, hit-to-lead and lead optimisation projects for clients.