SampleStream A Radically Simplified Platform for Protein Sample Preparation

Abstract The analysis of proteins intact or following digestion via mass spectrometry has the potential to revolutionize human health and wellness by identifying highly correlative markers for human disease and characterizing protein based drugs Unfortunately the high cost of mass spectrometric protein analyses has presented a barrier to their routine deployment in medical research diagnostic testing and quality control of biopharmaceuticals Further sample loss during multistep preparation procedures makes many workflows incompatible with samples either their number or limited amount acquired from patients or biopharma development pipelines Despite prior investments in proteomics in the U S relatively few efforts are dedicated to dramatically reducing cost This contrasts sharply with genomics where from the NHGRI explicitly funded efforts that led to next generate sequencing Our firm Integrated Proteomics Technologies seeks to expand upon an existing platform for automated preparation of diverse protein samples for Bottom Up Middle Down and Top Down Mass Spectrometry The platform SampleStream traps proteins in a fluidic channel via the action of a molecular weight cutoff membrane Common sample preparation procedures such as buffer exchange concentration digestion alkylation can then be carried out in a manner similar to filter assisted sample preparation FASP SampleStream solves the challenges of many other sample preparation platforms by eliminating sample transfers eliminating robotics and dramatically reducing both user time and their average training level required for successful robust operations The resultant reductions in staff cost consumables and number of repeat analyses will yield a per sample savings ranging from and forms the core of a successful business model in this space Further the elimination of sample transfers and precipitation steps promises to dramatically reduce the amount of sample required per analysis particularly for Top Down analyses on protein targets andgt kDa Together these effects will provide the cost savings and reduced sample amounts needed to bring proteomics into routine conversation with clinical research where the number of samples is high and the sample amount is low With success driven by the power of positive feedback IPT will be a leading force in the private sector to reduce costs and increase value for protein based measurement in research environments Project Narrative Integrated Protein Technologies Inc seeks to further develop a fluidic platform for the automated preparation of protein samples for bottom up middle down and top down mass spectrometric interrogation Our approach will result in dramatically simplified sample preparation protocols reducing per sample analysis costs the amount of sample required and the skill level of laboratory personnel Reduced sample requirements and reduced cost will enable proteomics to impact clinical settings where required sample number is high and material from individual patients is limited biopharma research and quality control where methods for native and intact protein analysis are needed and basic protein science where non experts require simple and streamlined interfaces for the production of mass spectrometric data from myriad workflows