Matritech Awarded Patent for NMP Tech
Matritech said this week it has received a patent covering methods for detection of cancer using nuclear matrix proteins in bodily fluids such as blood and urine.
The patent, No. 6,740,494, covers technology that is used in the company’s diagnostic products for detection of bladder cancer, the company said.
Matritech, of Newton, Mass., has licensed this nuclear matrix protein technology exclusively from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Bruker Daltonics Sells MALDI/TOF/TOF to New Zealand University
Bruker Daltonics has sold a MALDI-TOF/TOF instrument to Waikato University of Hamilton, New Zealand, for incorporation into a new center of excellence for mass spectrometry, the university said last week.
The instrument and associated sample handling robot have a value of NZ$800,000 (about $500,000), according to the university.
“Coupled with the equipment we already have at Waikato University, the addition of the MALDI-TOF/TOF will create a real center of excellence for mass spectrometry research and development,” Richard Price, Dean of Waikato University’s School of Science and Technology, said in a statement. “Together with other instrumentation in the School, we can offer a fully integrated facility for chemical and biological analysis, particularly in the specialist areas of genomics and proteomics.”
Bruker Daltonics’ New Zealand distributor is Bio-Strategy Distribution. Bruker said that the researchers at Waikato would be able to access other mass spec systems in Germany, the US, and Japan under a special collaborative deal with the company.
NextGen Awarded UK Patent
NextGen Sciences of Huntingdon, UK and Boston, said it has received a British patent for electrophoretic technology used in its 2DE system for automated gel electrophoresis.
The patent, ‘Electrophoretic Separation System’, number GB 2386954, covers the systems capability of performing iso-electric focusing with the separation medium on one face of a flexible plastic sheet, rather than the traditionaland cumbersome glass plates,” the company said.
It is the fourth patent granted to the company since its founding in 2000.
Michigan Alliance To Lease Equipment to Startups
The Michigan Core Technology Alliance — which includes Michigan Center for Structural Biology at Michigan State University and the Michigan Proteome Consortium at the University of Michigan — announced this week a new mandate allowing startups in the state to lease equipment from one of the alliance members.
The consortium did not disclose the fee structure for charging startups for use of the equipment, but said the effort was intended to help these companies to gain access to this equipment.
Syrrx Gets Milestone Payment from Biogen
Syrrx has received a milestone payment from Biogen Idec in a structural proteomics collaboration the companies started at the end of last year.
Under the agreement, which the companies announced this week, San Diego-based Syrrx has been performing high-throughput crystallization of proteins on several targets provided by Biogen.