One Cell Systems Awarded Phase II SBIR to Develop Assay Format for Isolating Hybridomas Producing Antigen Specific Antibodies.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 14, 2003 One Cell Systems, Inc. announced that it had recently been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR SBIR Small Business Innovation Research (program/grant) SBIR Space Based Infra-Red SBIR Speaker-Boundary Interference SBIR Site Backsurface-referenced Ideal Plane/Range (silicon wafers) ) grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a novel approach for identifying hybridomas producing antigen specific antibodies. The total amount of the award is $510,700. This assay format relies on single cell gel microdrop (GMD (company) GMD - Full name: "GMD - Forschungszentrum Informationstechnik GmbH" (German National Research Center for Information Technology). Before April 1995, GMD stood for "Gesellschaft für Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung" - National Research Center for Computer Science, ) encapsulation technology and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS FACS Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. FACS abbr. Fellow of the American College of Surgeons FACS fluorescence-activated cell sorter. ) to isolate cells producing proteins of interest. Since secreted molecules rapidly dissociate dis·so·ci·ate v. dis·so·ci·at·ed, dis·so·ci·at·ing, dis·so·ci·ates v.tr. 1. To remove from association; separate: from the originating cell, isolation of individual cells based on specificity of secreted proteins is not currently possible. A key component of this assay involves anchoring the antigen specific antibody against the protein of interest to the agarose GMD matrix, where it functions as a capture molecule. Secreted antibodies that interact with the anchored protein antigen are detected with a fluorescently labeled reporter antibody, permitting isolation by FACS. Conceptually, each GMD functions as a miniaturized microtiter well. "The ability to identify single cells producing antigen specific antibodies is not possible using other assays and is a compelling feature of the GMD Secretion Assay," said Yevgenya Akselband, Ph.D, Principal Investigator for this program. "Our antigen specific assay can dramatically reduce time to market as well as labor costs associated with traditional antibody production," Dr. Akselband continued. Currently, hybridoma hybridoma /hy·brid·o·ma/ (hi?brid-o´mah) a somatic cell hybrid formed by fusion of normal lymphocytes and tumor cells. hy·brid·o·ma n. selection from a mixed pool of cells involves limiting dilution cloning and assay of culture supernatants for antigen specificity of secreted antibodies. This process is variable, labor intensive and time-consuming since it requires numerous growth cycles and isolation steps until a cell line is optimized for antibody production. Using the GMD Secretion Assay, one million cells can be screened per hour. Company Background One Cell Systems, Inc., is a privately-held biotechnology company commercializing novel assays for drug discovery and development and clinical research. Products include secreted protein and growth assays that rely on microencapsulation microencapsulation a manufacturing process in which an active agent is contained in microcapsules, suspended in a liquid. As the vehicle dries, the capsules dry out and the contents become active. and flow cytometry and in situ hybridization in situ hybridization A method for localizing a sequence of DNA, mRNA, or protein in a cell or tissue; the use of a DNA or RNA probe to detect a cDNA sequence in chromosome spreads or in interphase nuclei or an RNA sequence of cloned bacterial or cultured assays for cancer and infectious disease. |
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