New Malvern MicroCal PEAQ-DSC for Faster, more Accurate Characterisation of Biomolecule Stability

DSC is often referred to as the Gold standard technique for measuring the thermal stability of biological macromolecules. Most commonly used for measuring protein stability, DSC measures the heat change during a controlled increase or decrease in temperature which is associated with the making and breaking of hydrogen bonds. These bonds are broken when the biologic is heated and it unfolds which is detected by the calorimeter.

DSC provides fast and accurate determination of melting transition midpoint (Tm), and changes in enthalpy (∆H). Any increase in Tm seen when comparing native and modified forms during formulation screening can be associated with an increase in stability.

Most other spectroscopic techniques used to measure protein stability rely on monitoring change in the environment of a particular amino acid, often a Tryptophan. There are a number of problems with this approach. Firstly, not all proteins have Tryptophan and the unfolding may go undetected. Secondly, even if they do have the Tryptophan, those techniques will only detect changes in the local environment of those amino acids. This may not be a good representation of the unfolding as a whole. This is particularly important for multi domain proteins. One or more of the domains may not have the Tryptophan and therefore the unfolding of a particular domain may go completely undetected. If this domain is important for the stability of the biologic, then all the data used to assess the developability of that molecule will be misleading. This is why many laboratories run MicroCal DSC measurements to validate their spectroscopic analyses.

DSC is widely used for measuring the stability of proteins in a wide range of applications in the biopharmaceutical industry. The technique can be used for candidate selection, formulation, biosimilarity and process development studies. There is an increasing need in this environment to demonstrate high data integrity. The MicroCal PEAQ DSC has been developed to meet these needs.

The new Malvern MicroCal PEAQ-DSC Automated system is the latest innovation in Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC).

MicroCal PEAQ-DSC has smart algorithms for picking up even subtle features in DSC unfolding curves, to facilitate the identification of subdomain unfolding. The instrument can be used to study biologics in a broad range of buffers and formulations. It delivers unattended 24-hour operation, together with streamlined workflows and automated data analysis to produce fast results. The PEAQ-DSC temperature range reaches as high as 130°C, with scan rates up to 240°C per hour. In addition, the system is network-ready, and has built-in automated cleaning and self-validation protocols. The MicroCal DSC has low sample volume requirements and has features that support working in a regulated environment including software to support 21 CRF Part 11 Compliance.

MicroCal PEAQ-DSC is available in two versions: a standalone instrument that includes the DSC cell and a dedicated computer, or a fully automated system with the addition of a liquid handling robot.

For further details contact
ATA Scientific Pty Ltd
+61 2 9541 3500
enquiries@atascientific.com.au
https://www.atascientific.com.au/products/malvern-microcal-peaq-dsc-automated/