News

• New paper demonstrates Affimer^® based assay for the quantification of sRAGE in COPD\

A new paper from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, demonstrating a validated Affimer-based assay for the quantification of sRAGE in COPD, has been published in the Journal of Proteome Research.

Issues of accuracy and antibody variability were raised over the validated antibody-based immunoassay for sRAGE, leading the researchers to investigate Affimer reagents to develop an alternative assay for this biomarker. Within this study they show:

• Affimer binders are robust reagents ideal for the development of bio-analytical assays meeting the EMA and FDA regulatory guidelines.
• Excellent target specificity and sensitivity with no matrix effects observed across a variety of disease and normal patient serum.
• Highly consistent batch-to-batch performance of the tested Affimer reagents.

Further development of this assay could offer a potential new resource for both COPD research and clinical practice.

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• INTERVIEW WITH PROF. RAINER BISCHOFF:

'Rainer Bischoff, Professor of Analytical Biochemistry at the University of Groningen (Groningen, The Netherlands), talks to Sankeetha Nadarajah, Managing Commissioning Editor (Bioanalysis), regarding the development of novel methods for protein, peptide and metabolite analysis. This interview was recorded at the European Biotechnology Forum (EBF) symposium in Barcelona (Spain). You can find the interview here: Novel Methods for Protein, Peptide and Metabolite Analysis: An Interview with Rainer Bischoff. Bionalysis Zone, March 15,2018

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• FABIAN SYMPOSIUM IN GRONINGEN ON OCTOBER 11, 2017

The 2017 edition of the FABIAN symposium of the Bioanalysis Working Group of the Royal Dutch Chemical Society (KNCV) in close collaboration with the Belgian Bioanalysis Working Group brought together young scientists and experts in bioanalysis during an inspiring day at the ERIBA Institute of the University of Groningen. About 70 participants discussed new possibilities of using high-resolution mass spectrometry in (regulated) bioanalysis.

After an overview given by one of the pioneers of modern mass spectrometry, Prof. Hopfgartner from the University of Geneva (Switzerland), there were presentations related to scientists and practitioners from industry and international research institutes. The afternoon session went into specific examples of therapeutic protein analysis, ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry and proteomics.

The symposium allowed to renew acquaintances and to make new contacts. We are looking forward to an equally successful symposium in 2018 to bring the Dutch and Belgian bioanalysis community together again.

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• WEBINAR

On May 25, 2017, Prof. Rainer Bischoff gave a webinar on protein analysis by LC-MS. To view the webinar, please use the following link (registration is unfortunately necessary):