Spin out deciphers membrane proteins’ interactions
22 Jul 2016 by Evoluted New Media
OMass Technologies, a spin out from Oxford University, has become the first company to develop a method to understand the interactions of membrane proteins using mass spectrometry.
OMass Technologies, a spin out from Oxford University, has become the first company to develop a method to understand the interactions of membrane proteins using mass spectrometry.
This technology will allow researchers to understand how the proteins react to drugs, as well as helping to quicken the pace of drug development.
Professor Carol Robinson, an OMass founder, said: “Membrane proteins are notoriously challenging for structural studies. But the new mass spectrometry methods we are developing here at Oxford allow us to understand the structure of membrane proteins and how they are affected by small molecule binding in much more detail.
“This means we will be able to offer a new view for drug candidates. We'll also be able to offer incredibly useful insights into how drugs interact within cells – for instance how they interact with the lipid membrane and how individual lipids influence drug binding, all prior to any pre-clinical or clinical trials.”The methodologies the technology is built on draws from more than 20 years’ worth of research and intellectual property at Oxford. OMass has filed patent applications concerning the methodology.
An independent laboratory will be built in Oxford for OMass, and the facilities will be used by Oxford researchers. Partnerships have already been established with international pharmaceutical and biotech companies to use its technology on their drug discovery programs.