The new ARCHIMEDES Particle Metrology System from Affinity
Biosensors promises to revolutionize the way that nanoparticles,
biomolecules such as proteins, bacteria, yeast and live mammalian cells
are measured and characterized. The system is based on the use of novel
microchannel resonators. As particles flow through the resonators the
change in resonant frequency gives the particle or cell's mass and size
with ultra-high resolution.
Key Applications for the ARCHIMEDES system include:
- Ultra-high resolution nanoparticle characterization (size, weight and density) for nanofabrication and
fuel cell technologies.
- Protein aggregation monitoring for the development, manufacture, storage and delivery of therapeutic
proteins
- Bacteria and mammalian cell growth monitoring for stem cell research and the development of new
therapeutics (e.g. antibiotics).
fuel cell technologies.
- Protein aggregation monitoring for the development, manufacture, storage and delivery of therapeutic
proteins
- Bacteria and mammalian cell growth monitoring for stem cell research and the development of new
therapeutics (e.g. antibiotics).
Particle metrology
The ARCHIMEDES system sets a new standard in
particle
metrology. Its ultra-high resolution surpasses dynamic light scattering, laser diffraction, and Brownian motion tracking. Simple
NIST-traceable calibration gives true accuracy at the 1% level. Unlike
light scattering, each particle is measured individually and there are
no inversion algorithms or optical artifacts. The connection between
your sample and the information you need is clear and rock solid. Even
density can be measured.
Protein aggregation
Therapeutic protein treatments can slow the progression of many human diseases and can also replace critical proteins that are not produced endogenously. In the formulations used to deliver these treatments, however, aggregation of proteins can reduce their effectiveness. It is therefore essential to monitor aggregation in the development, manufacture, storage and delivery of therapeutic proteins and other biopharmaceutical formulations.
ARCHIMEDES has reproducibly measured aggregates ranging in size from as small as 100 nm up to 5 microns. The measurement below (left) shows the size distribution of submicron IgG protein aggregates in 4 μl of native sample. The measured concentration was 4x106 aggregates per ml for sizes >300 nm. Because the underlying measurements are of mass, the distribution can be cast as the number of base proteins that make up each aggregate as is shown in the right plot. See the complete article below on Measuring Protein Formulations with ARCHIMEDES.
The ARCHIMEDES system can also be used to clearly distinguish foreign matter from protein aggregates.
Microbiology and live cell growth monitoring
ARCHIMEDES' gentle fluidics allow
measurement of living cells in physiological conditions with all of the
benefits of its unsurpassed metrology. The result is resolution far
beyond the Coulter counter and flow cytometry. Obtain the most
accurate cell mass distributions, monitor growth of bacteria and cells and
even examine components in whole blood with the widest dynamic range. ARCHIMEDES weighs individual particles and living cells with a resolution below 1 femtogram (10-15g) - one million times
better than other mass measurements in fluid. You'll find a link to an article entitled "Using ARCHIMEDES for microbiological applications" under More Information below.
More Information
The following materials that describe the ARCHIMEDES system and its applications can be downloaded as PDFs:
ARCHIMEDES particle metrology system brochure
Using ARCHIMEDES for microbiological applications
Particle sizing analysis article from Royal Society of Chemistry
Measuring protein formulations with ARCHIMEDES
Nature article on particle characterization
