QBI Life Sciences: New product from QBI Life Sciences enables research on membrane proteins

Contact: Vladimir Trubetskoy

(608) 441-2950
VladimirT@qbilifesci.com

MADISON, WISCONSIN—QBI Life Sciences of Madison announced today that it has released its first in a series of products useful in exploration of the human proteome. PreserveX™-QML Polymeric Micelles (PreserveX™-QML), based on patented discoveries at QBI Life Sciences, will be useful in working with a most important class of human proteins, membrane proteins. Membrane proteins reside on the surface of cell membranes. In the area of human health, they represent a significant class of proteins as they represent 70% of all known drug targets, the agents inside the human body upon which drugs evoke a therapeutic effect.

PreserveX™-QML consists of a proprietary mixture of amphiphiles (a molecule that consists of at least two parts, one that is hydrophilic and one that is hydrophobic) designed to resemble the native membrane environment. PreserveX™-QML can solubilize membrane proteins and preserve their activity, even during extended incubations in multi-well microplate assays. Other PreserveX™ formulations, including different sizes of PreserveX™ Polymeric Micelles and affinity- and fluorescent-labeled forms of the PreserveX™ products, are under development. Announcement of the introduction of PreserveX™-QML is coincident with a presentation of product performance at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) in San Francisco, California.

PreserveX™-QML provides a convenient, easy to use method for extracting, solubilizing, and stabilizing membrane proteins in only a few steps. Solubilization with PreserveX™-QML produces small, homogeneous particles that can clarify protein solutions, making them suitable for fluorescence-based biochemical assays at multiple wavelengths. PreserveX™-QML helps to maintain structural integrity and activity of membrane proteins during extended incubations and is compatible with numerous experimental methods, such as measuring phospholipid content, determining protein concentration, analyzing protein purity, performing immunoassays, and conducting multi-well microplate assays.

“The PreserveX™ Polymeric Micelles provide an ideal entry for our membrane protein product line,” stated Vladimir Trubetskoy, Director of Polymer Chemistry at QBI Life Sciences. “To combine improved protein stability and activity with a streamlined, easy to use extraction method that is compatible with many commonly used experimental methods including fluorescence techniques will enable many drug discovery scientists to achieve research goals not previously achievable.”

About QBI Life Sciences

QBI Life Sciences is a division of Quintessence Biosciences, Inc. QBI Life Sciences is focused on development and supply of research tools focused on work with membrane proteins. The aim of the Company’s product development efforts is to enable new areas of research.

For more information go to: http://www.qbilifesci.com