Agilent said this week that it will collaborate with Australia's Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health on methods for measuring metals at the protein level in tissue affected by neurodegenerative diseases including motor neuron, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's.
The collaboration will focus on developing techniques for improved measurement of metalloproteins via liquid chromatography combined with Agilent's 7700 ICP-MS instrumentation. These techniques will allow Florey researchers to compare metalloprotein levels in samples of interest and investigate the range of metalloproteins present in these samples.
While metals and metalloproteins are thought to play a role in neurodegenerative processes, researchers have little data on how changes in the level of metals like copper, iron, and zinc at the protein level translate to changes in cellular function or disease state.
"This is an important breakthrough for the scientific community as we push forward for more effective treatments for a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions," Blaine Roberts, senior research scientist at the Florey, said in a statement.
"We are very excited about this collaboration, as it matches the leading-edge brain research of the Florey and Agilent's leading-edge technologies," said Rod Minett, general manager of Agilent's Life Sciences Group in South Korea and the South Asia-Pacific region. "The emerging field of metalloproteins will help us better understand the human brain and could potentially lead to better clinical outcomes for patients."
Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.