Industry and academia to share expertise in effort to develop improved methods to produce and characterize antibodies and reagents for neurological research
CARLSBAD, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2017) – The Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) at McGill University, a world-leading institution focused on brain research and advanced patient care, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, today announce an agreement designed to accelerate the understanding of neurological disease by focusing on about 30 proteins associated with Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), hereditary spastic paraplegias, epileptic encephalopathies and ataxias, which are all devastating brain diseases.
According to the World Health Organization, neurological disorders and their consequences are estimated to affect as many as a billion people worldwide. With an aging population and lack of effective treatments for many of these conditions, it is critical to develop new tools and assays to advance research into the mechanisms of these diseases.
Antibodies are invaluable for studying the function and location of proteins. As part of the study, Thermo Fisher will generate antibodies for proteins that investigators at the MNI and other scientists have associated with particular neurological diseases.
MNI investigators will generate cell lines lacking the proteins as a mechanism to validate the antibodies, and will then use their expertise in these disease domains, coupled with the Thermo Fisher-generated antibodies, to advance the understanding of these disorders. The research will result in a set of highly validated reagents for scientists to study neurodegenerative diseases.
Thermo Fisher will utilize its ABfinity™ antibody technology to generate rabbit recombinant antibodies. These recombinant antibodies are derived directly from B-cells captured from immunized animals and have the advantage of being robust and reproducible. Scientists from both institutions will work together to characterize the reagents. Thermo Fisher will confirm definitive protein binding by identifying that the antibody binds the intended target through mass spectrometry and by testing the antibodies by Western blot and immunofluorescence using the cell lines lacking the proteins generated at the MNI as a control.
“We are pleased to partner with Thermo Fisher Scientific, a company that has a strong and proven reputation for its manufacture of antibodies,” said Dr. Peter McPherson, James McGill Professor at the MNI. “We are also delighted that Thermo is supportive of our Open Science Initiative and its mandate to make reagents and tools available to the community.”
“This important work combines the expertise of industry and academia to develop and characterize world-class, robust tools to study diseases,” said Matt Baker, Director R&D and Business Development, Antibodies and Immunoassays at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “By working with MNI scientists, our antibodies will be screened in the most relevant models by experts who are leaders in this field, resulting in high-value reagents for the entire research community.”
About the Montreal Neurological Institute
The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro – is a world-leading destination for brain research and advanced patient care. Since its founding in 1934 by renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Wilder Penfield, The Neuro has grown to be the largest specialized neuroscience research and clinical center in Canada, and one of the largest in the world. The seamless integration of research, patient care, and training of the world’s top minds make The Neuro uniquely positioned to have a significant impact on the understanding and treatment of nervous system disorders. In 2016, The Neuro became the first institute in the world to fully embrace the Open Science philosophy, creating the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute. The Montreal Neurological Institute is a McGill University research and teaching institute. The Montreal Neurological Hospital is part of the Neuroscience Mission of the McGill University Health Centre. For more information, please visit www.theneuro.ca
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of $17 billion and more than 50,000 employees in 50 countries. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Through our premier brands – Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services – we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive support. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.
