ST. LOUIS, Mo., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sigma-Aldrich (Nasdaq: SIAL - News) has expanded its proteomics offerings with the acquisition of Seppro® affinity depletion technology and a library of 700 avian-derived antibodies from GenWay Biotech, Inc. Seppro depletion products enable scientists to measure more precisely the expression of protein biomarkers from a range of mammalian and plant biological samples. This acquisition covers current inventory, production technology and all future rights to produce and distribute the product lines.
The Seppro IgY depletion platform is an antibody-based technology for processing plasma, serum and plant samples. It enables researchers to detect and analyze commonly obscured biomarkers in samples by removing highly abundant proteins. Seppro depletion products are built using chicken-derived IgY antibodies, providing higher selectivity and lower cross-reactivity than other comparable products. The Seppro platform, incorporating SuperMix technology, represents the most complete human depletion system available, removing 14 of the most abundant proteins from human serum or plasma, as well as other high and medium abundant proteins. Additional products are available for the depletion of mouse and rat samples, as well as the industry’s only depletion system for the removal of Rubisco.
The library of 700 polyclonal IgY antibodies acquired from GenWay represents Sigma-Aldrich’s first IgY antibody offering. The new antibodies are derived from chicken embryos and prepared using recombinant antigens. Chicken antibodies display less cross-reactivity with mammalian proteins, producing fewer false positive reactions in certain immunochemical assays. Chicken IgY is also typically more stable than IgG derived from mammalian species. With the acquisition of the chicken-derived IgY antibodies library, Sigma-Aldrich also plans to expand its antibody catalog, to which more than 8,000 new antibodies were added in 2008.
“The acquisition of Seppro significantly strengthens Sigma-Aldrich’s position in antibody-based depletion technology,” said Dr. Dave Smoller, President of Sigma-Aldrich’s Research Biotech Business Unit. “Our goal, through acquisitions and collaborations, is to provide researchers with the most comprehensive and highly characterized portfolio of antibodies and antibody products.”
Seppro technology joins Sigma-Aldrich’s leading collection of depletion products, including ProteoPrep® kits for the removal of highly abundant proteins, such as albumin and IgG, from human serum and plasma. For more information on Seppro, and all Sigma-Aldrich proteomics sample preparation products, visit http://www.sigma-aldrich.com/genway.
About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific and genomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in pharmaceutical and other high technology manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 36 countries and has 8,000 employees providing excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer Success through innovation and Leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning Web site at http://www.sigma-aldrich.com.
About GenWay Biotech: Genway Biotech Inc. is a diagnostic company based in San Diego, CA that manufactures and supplies key components of diagnostic kits, such as antibodies and antigens, to diagnostic companies. GenWay is actively developing novel diagnostic tests for point-of-care and over-the-counter diagnostics. GenWay specializes in immunoassay development, applications, and manufacturing, as well as novel antibody platforms, such as shark and chicken monoclonal antibodies, for increased sensitivity in immunoassays and stability of diagnostic tests. For more information about GenWay Biotech, please visit http://www.genwaybio.com.
Cautionary Statement: This release contains forward-looking statements relating to future performance, goals, strategic actions and initiatives and similar intentions and beliefs and other statements regarding the Companies’ expectations, goals, beliefs, intentions and the like, which involve assumptions regarding the Companies’ operations and conditions in the markets the Companies serve. The Companies do not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Sigma-Aldrich and ProteoPrep are registered trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P. and Sigma-Aldrich Co.
Source: Sigma-Aldrich
