Bio-calorimetry – set to transform biological research including in the field of accurately detecting actual bacterial colonization and biofilm formation activity
Symcel, the company behind the revolutionary cell-based assay tool, calScreener™, reveals how cellular bio-energetics enables better phenotype based drug discovery at the third annual NovAliX event taking place this week in Strasbourg, France. This year’s conference is primarily focused on how best to develop the synergy between biophysics and medicinal chemistry to enable the development of better drugs.
The impact of bio-calorimetry forms the centerpiece of Symcel’s analysis to be presented to industry opinion leaders and scientists from across the drug discovery and development sectors.
“To date, we have seen calorimetry successfully applied in academic communities for biosciences. However, since it is a proven and well-tested technology for biophysical measurement, bio-calorimetry possesses strong characteristics that make it a highly viable and useful asset to apply across the broader realm of drug discovery and development. This is especially the case in the context of the reversion back to using phenotype response based drug development – a growing trend which has arisen as a direct result of the failure to increase efficacy, increasing late phase attrition rates and higher development costs that the industry now faces. Indeed, the measurement of cellular bio-energetics is a biophysical method firmly rooted in the phenotype, functional assay field”, commented Magnus Jansson, Chief Scientific Officer at Symcel.
Significantly, bio-calorimetry technology enables the correct detection and treatment of bacterial colonization and biofilm formation in complex matrixes through its capability to detect actual activity. Most molecular technologies are only able to detect presence – making it difficult to make accurate and reliable assessments in this crucial sphere.
Magnus Jannson added: “Measuring cellular bio-energetics is particularly accurate and effective because it takes into account all cellular events – enabling researchers and scientists to see the big picture. This is in stark contrast to most other technologies and approaches that are limited to drawing conclusions and making predictions based on either individual or combined measurements of individual factors.”
Calorimetry is a label-free, non-destructive assay tool, brings multiple advantages to the R&D community. The technology is completely independent of the composition and morphology of the sample, thereby facilitating the transition from 2 dimensional cell based assays to 3 dimensional cell cultures to tissue samples. This provides a vital link between different settings monitored by the same technology. Furthermore, calorimetry is a real time technology that makes it possible to follow the development of a cellular response over time.
Christer Wallin, CEO of Symcel remarked: “The true monitoring of cellular bioenergetics – the metabolic state of the cell – provides new and much needed information that bridges the gaps in modern day drug development and serves to bind individual factors together to create better predictive models that enhance performance in modern biological research.”
He continued; “Our calorimetry technology has a number of unique features and is a highly advantageous tool for scientists to apply in drug discovery and development. It is designed for easy incorporation into the toolbox of the cell biology researcher.”
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