Company Categories: Computer Software, CRO, Drug Development and Drug Discovery
Characterisation of Biological Macromolecules, Polymers & Nanoparticles
DetailsBIOSAXS provides comprehensive services and software for the characterisation of biological macromolecules, polymers and nanoparticles in their native state (solution or bulk) via Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).
The company stands at the forefront of the powerful SAXS sample characterisation technique, offering unparalleled insights into the behaviour and structure of biological macromolecules and nanoscale objects to revolutionise modern drug discovery and development.
Characterisation of Macromolecules, Polymers and Nanoparticles with SAXS
Leveraging cutting-edge Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) technology, BIOSAXS unveils solution structures of biological macromolecules, polymers and synthetic nanoparticles at an impressive 1-2 nm resolution. BIOSAXS can rapidly and accurately analyse a wide range of samples, including proteins, RNA, DNA, macromolecular complexes, viruses, nanoparticles, colloids and gels. Importantly, SAXS is applicable under a variety of conditions, including temperature, buffer, pH, and even for kinetics, providing structural insights that are key for modern vaccine and drug discovery and development.
Through its innovative SAXS technique, the company’s experts can provide in-depth analysis of overall particle shape, quaternary structure, conformational changes (e.g. on ligand binding), complex formation, oligomerization behaviour, influence of buffer conditions or temperature, assembly and folding, flexibility of fragments or entire structures, interparticle interactions and particle size distributions. These comprehensive analyses are indispensable for the design and optimisation of drug formulations, enhancing drug stability, solubility, and bioavailability.
BIOSAXS offers a streamlined process where clients describe their project, send samples, and receive their required SAXS analysis from the world’s most advanced synchrotron, all within weeks and under a non-disclosure agreement. The service includes expert advice, data collection and analysis, model building and comprehensive reports, with options for remote collection and even personal visits, ensuring samples are handled precisely as required.
Sample Characterisation with Exceptional Precision
BIOSAXS has access to the world’s most brilliant synchrotron in Hamburg, enabling the company to perform complete sample characterisation with exceptional precision even from sample volumes as minute as 20 μL and with dilute concentrations down to 0.1 mg/mL. BIOSAXS enables the identification of molecular interactions and conformational changes that are essential for understanding drug mechanisms, with optimal efficiency, minimal sample usage, and reduced experimental costs. Moreover, it facilitates the study of delicate or limited samples that may be challenging to obtain or synthesise in large quantities. The exceptional brilliance of the synchrotron source ensures high-quality data acquisition, enabling researchers to obtain detailed structural information from native samples in solution.
Equipped with an in-line size exclusion chromatography setup that includes light scattering, UV-absorption, and refractometric detectors, BIOSAXS offers a multipronged characterisation of the various fractions within a sample. This comprehensive analysis is vital for the thorough vetting of drug candidates and ensuring their stability and consistency.
High-Throughput Characterisation of Biomolecules
The high-throughput capabilities of BIOSAXS’ 96-well plate reader, an integral component of the robotic sample changer, combined with the automated data analysis pipeline, significantly accelerate the screening process and streamline the characterisation methodology.
Moreover, high throughput capability reduces the risk of cross-resistance in new antimicrobial drugs, as thousands of compounds can be screened and classified based on ultra-structural changes before progressing to preclinical development.
Small Angle Scattering (SAS) Data Analysis Software
ATSAS is the most comprehensive and powerful software ever created for the analysis of Small-angle Scattering data from biological macromolecules in solution. The latest iteration, ATSAS 4.0, sets a new standard in the field, enabling researchers to delve into the wealth of information provided by SAXS, from overall geometrical parameters to three-dimensional models.
ATSAS stands out for its ability to reconstruct the shape of proteins and macromolecules ab initio, relying solely on SAXS data. Moreover, hybrid modeling is offered, which seamlessly integrates data from methods like X-ray crystallography, NMR, and bioinformatics in a multifaceted approach to model building. The suite is also adept at analysing oligomeric mixtures and flexible systems, including intrinsically disordered proteins, making it an indispensable tool for researchers working with complex biological systems.
Ease of use is a hallmark of ATSAS, and as of version 4.0 an application launcher is provided, a GUI containing a convenient menu system to access the experimental data processing modules and to run data analysis programs. To support automation, ATSAS provides a suite of command-line tools and easy-to-use wizards that can efficiently handle large amounts of experimental data. ATSAS is a single package compatible with Windows, macOS and popular Linux distributions, ensuring universal accessibility.
Currently, BIOSAXS provides free access for academic users and various licences for commercial customers. This approach ensures that ATSAS can be utilised to further research and discovery in both, academia and the industry.
Small-angle X-ray Scattering for Pharmaceutical Applications
Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) has become a key tool to rapidly and comprehensively characterise macromolecular and nanostructured systems and its applications in the pharmaceutical industry are vast and impactful. SAXS can be applied across a wide range of particle sizes, from small peptides to large macromolecular complexes or nanoparticles with molecular weights spanning 5 kDa to 100 MDa. SAXS offers various ways to characterise pharmaceutical formulations, drug carrier systems, vaccines (including recently, anti-Covid vaccines), active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) as well as viruses of various kinds.
The SAXS method can determine the size, shape, internal structure, morphology, as well as interactions of such materials and contribute to a better understanding of their functionality. It aids in optimising drug stability, solubility, and bioavailability – crucial factors in pharmaceutical development. Whether it is characterising protein complexes or analysing the behaviour of nanoparticles, SAXS provides valuable insights that drive innovation in drug development.
About BIOSAXS
Established in 2015, BIOSAXS is a global leader in the application of Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) technology for the quantitative characterisation of macromolecules, polymers and nanoparticles.
Based on the advancements of the SAXS group at EMBL Hamburg, a recognised centre of excellence in biological X-ray scattering, and on own developments, BIOSAXS offers comprehensive solutions that include in-depth sample analysis and state-of-the-art software for automated data interpretation.
With access to the most brilliant synchrotron in the world and state-of-the-art high-throughput screening technology, the BIOSAXS expert team works closely with pharmaceutical companies to push the boundaries of possibilities in drug discovery and development.
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Notkestr. 85, Geb. 25a
22607 Hamburg
GermanyPhone: +49 40 89902 179
