Next generation of chromatin based assays
Porvair Plc in collaboration with Swansea University’s Centre for NanoHealth (CNH) have introduced Chromatrap®, Porvair first venture into the life science’s market.
Scientists at CNH in Swansea University (SU) are heavily involved in the R&D of the Chromatraps® range of next generation chromatin based assays. Chromatrap® provides a more efficient, sensitive and robust method of Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) that eliminates the need for magnetic or agarose beads, replacing them with a simple spin column fitted with a BioVyonTM filter. The filter is produced in a frit format with protein A or G covalently bound to it. With this technology a range of ChIP products have been developed to study DNA-protein interactions, a crucial part of epigenetic research.
With the addition of these kits, the study of epigenetic marks has been made more accessible, particularly through global epigenetic analysis. These technical developments have enabled several PhD students and Postdoctoral Researchers to look at next generation sequencing and downstream cellular and molecular processes in more detail.
The Chromatrap® brand has benefited from the increased access to SU academic staff and students, providing invaluable developmental input and validation. In addition, access to the state of the art molecular biology laboratories and range of biological samples, have enabled a wide-ranging research and development programme with rapid progress toward increased market value. Working closely with SU researchers we have established a prominent disruptive technology base for the epigenetics community.
Dr Amy Beynon from Porvair states ‘CNH has allowed Chromatrap to have access to top quality scientists in the field of epigenetics, which has guided our development and technical support process. Without the collaboration and access to labs these developments would not have been achievable.’
Further development centres around the application of our current assay base to new biological questions in the fields of biomarker and therapeutic development, establishing ChIP as an important interpretative tool in fundamental and translational biology. The provision of epigenetic services and further revenue generating schemes are being explored through this partnership. Dr Lewis Francis (RBGO Group) states that CNH is committed to the ‘continued involvement in the development of this exciting technology base and its application to further understanding the role of chromatin modifications and epigenetics in our target disease systems’.