Through the agreement, Spinchrom will become the exclusive distributor to market in India ForteBio's BLItz system, a platform that uniquely enables scientists to conduct label-free analyses of proteins using small sample volumes easily and cost-efficiently at their laboratory bench. ForteBio is a division of Pall Life Sciences and a leading supplier of label-free technology that accelerates the development of biotherapeutic and pharmaceutical products.
Historically, institutions have used label-free assays selectively and relegated them to their core laboratories due to their high complexity and expense. This practice creates bottlenecks in biotherapeutic research and development, as scientists may wait days or weeks to schedule their experiments and then hours or longer to obtain results. The BLItz system is small - taking up less surface area than a tablet personal computer - so it can fit easily in an individual scientist's workspace. It is simple to use and requires only four microlitres of sample - 15 to 20 times less volume than needed for traditional, surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based label-free assays or microplate-based ELISA assays. The BLItz system is designed for any researcher working with proteins, particularly those who analyse column fractions, monitor protein expression, perform reagent QC, identify mechanism of action and signaling and run protein engineering studies. Additionally, the BLItz system's Dip and Read assays utilise disposable, ready-to-use biosensors that uniquely provide results in seconds to minutes.
"Given the growing biosimilar and proteomic activity in India, scientists' ability to understand protein interactions is increasingly a key success factor. The BLItz technology offers great value by means of a very cost-effective, simple and fast technology platform," says Mr. Sachin Indane, Director - BioPharm, Pall India Pvt. Ltd. "The BLItz platform will revolutionise the use of label-free protein analysis here by making it more accessible than ever to individual bench scientists and this will help to further advance biotherapeutic development in India."
The BLItz system utilizes the same Bio-Layer Interferometry (BLI) technology that powers ForteBio's flagship Octet® instrumentation platform, which enables real-time kinetics, affinity and quantitation measurements in high-throughput applications, with unprecedented ease of use and cost-efficiency.