Thermo Fisher Extends Biomarker Pact with Universities

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Thermo Fisher Scientific today said that it has extended a biomarker research effort with George Mason University's Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM), Johns Hopkins University, and Toronto's University Health Network (UHN).

The firm's Biomarker Research Initiatives in Mass Spectrometry (BRIMS) Center has been working with the universities over the past two years to accelerate the verification and validation of protein biomarkers for cancer and other diseases. The agreement announced today extends that collaboration, though Thermo Fisher did not disclose the length of the extension.

The BRIMS Center is developing targeted quantitative mass spectrometry workflows that enable rapid assay development and cross validation of biomarker assays. It said that each of the collaborators is using these biomarkers and assays to perform research on Thermo's TSQ Quantum Ultra triple quadrupole mass spectrometer platforms.

"By delivering reproducible, quantitative verification and validation of protein biomarkers in a clinical research setting, the researchers are now that much closer to their goal of developing tests for cancer," Iain Mylchreest, VP and general manager of life science mass spectrometry for Thermo Fisher Scientific, said in a statement.

Among the collaborators in the effort are Lance Liotta and Emanuel Petricoin, co-directors of George Mason University's Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine.

Members of the collaboration presented their results of a study on inter-lab reproducibility of the technology at a recent meeting of the US Human Proteome Organization, said Thermo. It said that the study showed that an optimized biomarker assay can be implemented relatively quickly across several laboratories without need for additional optimization.