Powered and Prepared for the Next Biologics Breakthrough
What’s better, the choice of one powerful label-free solution for protein analysis, or two? We talked with Dr. Helge Schnerr about the newly expanded Sartorius Octet portfolio and how next-generation technologies are empowering scientists in biologics development.
This article is posted on our Science Snippets Blog
Next Generation Tools for Biologics Development
The global biopharmaceutical industry is growing at a rapid pace. With that comes a need for innovative tools that accelerate workflows and enable fast hit identification along the way. Label-free protein analysis offers unique advantages for characterizing the interaction kinetics of vaccine candidates, antibody therapies, and other biologics.
The Octet® brand is an industry-recognized name for its bio-layer interferometry (BLI)-based systems for label-free, real-time analysis. Recently, the platform has expanded to include a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based instrument, the Octet® SF3 SPR. We asked Dr. Helge Schnerr, Global Campaign Manager at Sartorius, about the motivation behind this move, the game-changing features on the SF3, and what it means for biologics research.
What are some of the key trends in the biopharmaceutical industry?
Dr. Schnerr: On top of the constant pressure to reduce manufacturing costs, other trends include an increasing uptake of continuous manufacturing processes and the need for rapid feedback. Analytical workhorses remain MS-based analysis, advanced chromatography techniques or ELISAs, but over the last decade label-free biosensors are getting more popular, since they offer improved robustness, assay flexibility and throughput.
Where does biomolecular interaction analysis fit into the development and manufacturing of a biopharmaceutical?
Dr. Schnerr: Insights from analytical techniques guide the entire drug discovery and development process, from candidate screening and binding characterization to bioprocess optimization and drug release testing. But getting the necessary throughput to support screening needs remains a major challenge. Technologies that can accurately identify the right targets and deliver the throughput necessary for screening large panels can significantly reduce time to discovery and ultimately help lower costs.
There is a growing trend toward label-free methods. What are the benefits of label-free protein analysis?
Dr. Schnerr: Labeling schemes can sometimes alter the native structure of the biological molecule and may in some cases skew the results. Unlike traditional end-point methods, like ELISA, that require expensive labeling, label-free biosensor assays are much faster to set up and avoid the risk of functional interference from the label itself. Collecting data that is more physiologically relevant in real time is always better!
Can you give a specific example where label-free analysis can provide more information compared to an ELISA?
Dr. Schnerr: Off-rate ranking of antibodies is one example where real-time analysis matters. Kinetic analysis of antibody-antigen interaction is a crucial step in selecting high-affinity monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic applications. Traditionally, antibody ranking has been performed by ELISA; but this makes it difficult to distinguish the poor-expressing, strong binders, from the high-expressing, weak binders. This is where label-free, real time biomolecular interaction analysis has an edge.
The Sartorius Octet name is well-known for its BLI-based instruments. Now, the brand is expanding to include SPR. What’s the motivation behind this move?
Dr. Schnerr: We want our customers to find the solution that best meets their research needs. Adding SPR to the portfolio makes Sartorius the only company to provide both industry-leading label-free solutions. With the Octet® SF3, we’ve designed a robust, high-throughput, low maintenance system for fast characterization of a wide variety of biomolecular interactions.
Octet® SF3 is being called a next-generation SPR technology. Why is that?
Dr. Schnerr: The SF3 builds on the proven SPR architecture to give researchers a range of powerful hardware specifications, including high sensitivity, extended dissociation times, and over 72 hours of unattended run-time. But, it’s the diverse range of injection types that make this system truly unique, allowing both frequent and infrequent SPR users to take on any question.
Can you talk more about the different injection types on the SF3 and how they impact workflows?
Dr. Schnerr: With the OneStep® Gradient injections you no longer need to prepare a dilution series of each analyte, so it cuts down on sample preparation time. It works by diffusing a single concentration of analyte into a moving stream of buffer to create a concentration gradient of at least three orders of magnitude. On the other hand, the NeXtStep™ Injection Technology is intended for competition assays; you can measure an analyte’s full kinetics and affinity in the presence of multiple competitors from a single analyte concentration.
So, what are customers saying about the newly expanded Octet® Label-free detection platform?
Dr. Schnerr: Our customers rely on us for innovative label-free solutions for routine use in their research projects and industry processes. The expanded platform gives them a choice between two powerful systems. They like that!
