Rigaku to Distribute Proteros Free Mounting System™
The Woodlands, TX and Munich, Germany — March 18, 2005. Rigaku today announced an agreement with Proteros Biostructures GmbH (Martinsried, Germany) for exclusive global distribution rights of the Proteros Free Mounting System. Rigaku will be responsible for all marketing, sales, and service worldwide for this new product. The Free Mounting System represents a significant advance in that it can dramatically improve the quality of X-ray crystallographic data obtained for macromolecular structure determination in the fields of proteomics and structural genomics. In addition to major universities and research centers (like structural biology beamlines at synchrotrons), the Free Mounting System will meet the needs of biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms wishing to either increase their productivity or rescue difficult crystal specimens. Joseph D. Ferrara, CSO at Rigaku, observed that "rescue technologies are going to lead the next wave of structural proteomics…and are the driving force of this new product. Structural proteomics studies to date have suffered the loss of so many proteins along the way between cloning and structural determination, which highlights the industry's urgent need for methodology improvements like the Free Mounting System."
Free Mounting System is an integrated solution for optimization of protein crystals used in the collection of X-ray crystallographic data. Used in real-time conjunction with an X-ray diffractometer system, a protein crystal is mounted in a cryo-loop at room temperature and positioned in the center of a stream of gas for which the humidity and temperature are precisely controlled and adjustable. With this system, it is possible to manipulate the crystal in different ways and simultaneously analyze diffraction behavior to optimize the crystal for the best possible diffraction resolution.
Because of the large size and irregular shape of protein molecules, coupled with solvent content from 30% to 70%, protein crystals are often unstable and poorly ordered. Research has shown that humidity manipulations can effect well-defined (and reversible) unit cell modifications, and can be employed as a tool for recrystallization involving annealing or reordering of a crystal. Free Mounting System is the first commercially available product to exploit this phenomenon.
PROTEROS—New Dimensions in Protein Crystallography
Proteros Biostructures GmbH, located in Martinsried near Munich, Germany, is one of the worldwide leading experts in industrial X-ray structure analysis of proteins and protein-ligand-complexes for structure guided drug discovery. Proteros offers fast, reliable, and economic collaborations in high quality protein production and protein structure analysis supported by unique and proprietary technologies. Successful in business since 1999, Proteros collaborates with a large number of renowned international life science companies. The company's founders include Nobel Price Laureate Prof. Dr. Robert Huber, one of the pioneers of structural and functional analysis of proteins, who also made the original contributions for the development of the Free Mounting System.
Rigaku—Leading With Innovation
Since its inception in Japan in 1951, Rigaku has been at the forefront of analytical and industrial instrumentation technology. Rigaku and its subsidiaries form a global group focused on life sciences and general purpose analytical instrumentation. With hundreds of major innovations to their credit, Rigaku companies are world leaders in the fields of small molecule and protein crystallography, X-ray spectrometry and diffraction, X-ray optics, as well as semiconductor metrology. Rigaku employs over 1,100 people in the manufacture and support of its analytical equipment. Its products are in use in more than 70 countries—supporting research, development, and quality assurance activities. Throughout the world, Rigaku continuously promotes partnerships, dialog, and innovation within the global scientific and industrial community.
For further information, contact:
Joseph D. Ferrara, Ph.D.
VP Product Marketing and CSO
Rigaku Americas Corporation
(281) 362-2300
eMail: joseph.ferrara@rigaku.com