New Peptide and Protein Characterization and Purification Instruments

Targeted therapies are revolutionizing the treatment of many types of cancer. The targeting in these therapies, which is more efficient and safer than conventional ones, can be achieved through antibodies and peptides. In the last three years alone, more than 40 therapeutic antibodies have been approved. In addition, gene nanotherapies targeted with antibodies and peptides, recently supported in the development of COVID-19 vaccines, promise to offer more effective and selective treatments in the near future.

One of the projects within the Department of Bioengineering at the IQS School of Engineering addresses the development of activatable antibodies for targeted therapies. In this project, led by Dr Benjamí Oller Salvia, researchers are developing antibodies and peptides to increase the selectivity of the therapies and cross biological barriers. The project is being funded by a grant from the Fundación “la Caixa” Junior Leader Fellowships programme, which has facilitated the acquisition of three advanced chromatography instruments that enable different types of separation for peptide and protein characterization and purification. The devices have been added to the Therapeutic Protein Laboratory, led by Dr Oller, and are outstanding complements to the devices already available in this laboratory and at IQS.

 New Advanced Chromatography Instruments

FPLC BioRad Next Generation Chromatography Quest 10. This is a very versatile device that enables the purification of proteins and oligonucleotides with maximum recovery. To use it, the laboratory has acquired columns for purification by molecular exclusion, affinity and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. This instrument also has a loading pump that facilitates working with high sample volumes.

UHPLC Agilent 1260 Infinity II. This device is equipped with a “diode array” detector, a pump up to 800 bar, and bio-inert connections. This device has columns that facilitate characterizing peptides and proteins by various chromatographic techniques, including reverse phase, ion exchange, molecular exclusion, and hydrophobic interaction.

Preparative HPLC Agilent 1260/1290 Infinity II, which has an open manifold for tubes and plates and can work with a flow rate of up to 50 mL/min. This device, unique in the entire range of instruments available at IQS, has been complemented with preparative and semi-preparative columns for complex purifications and separations, especially of natural and synthetic peptides.

These instruments have been acquired thanks to the funds received from the Junior Leader Postdoctoral Grant awarded by the Fundación “la Caixa”.