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Process-driven information management system at a biotech company: concept and implementation.

While established pharmaceutical companies have chemical information systems in place to manage their compounds and the associated data, new startup companies need to implement these systems from scratch. Decisions made early in the design phase usually have long lasting effects on the expandability, maintenance effort, and costs associated with the information management system. Careful analysis of work and data flows, both inter- and intradepartmental, and identification of existing dependencies between activities are important. This knowledge is required to implement an information management system, which enables the research community to work efficiently by avoiding redundant registration and processing of data and by timely provision of the data whenever needed. This paper first presents the workflows existing at Anadys, then ARISE, the research information management system developed in-house at Anadys. ARISE was designed to support the preclinical drug discovery process and covers compound registration, analytical quality control, inventory management, high-throughput screening, lower throughput screening, and data reporting.

Journal Article↗

REALISIS: a medicinal chemistry-oriented reagent selection, library design, and profiling platform.

REALISIS is a software system for reagent selection, library design, and profiling, developed to fit the workflow of bench chemists and medicinal chemists. Designed to be portable, the software offers a comprehensive graphical user interface and rapid, integrated functionalities required for reagent retrieval and filtering, product enumeration, and library profiling. REALISIS is component-based, consisting of four main modules: reagent searching; reagent filtering; library enumeration; and library profiling. Each module allows the chemist to access specific functionalities and diverse filtering and profiling mechanisms. By implementing the entire process of reagent selection, library design, and profiling and by integrating all the necessary functionalities for this process, REALISIS cuts the time required to design combinatorial and noncombinatorial libraries from several days to a few hours.

Journal Article↗

Assessing the scaffold diversity of screening libraries.

Medicinal chemists have traditionally realized assessments of chemical diversity and subsequent compound acquisition, although a recent study suggests that experts are usually inconsistent in reviewing large data sets. To analyze the scaffold diversity of commercially available screening collections, we have developed a general workflow aimed at (1) identifying druglike compounds, (2) clustering them by maximum common substructures (scaffolds), (3) measuring the scaffold diversity encoded by each screening collection independently of its size, and finally (4) merging all common substructures in a nonredundant scaffold library that can easily be browsed by structural and topological queries. Starting from 2.4 million compounds out of 12 commercial sources, four categories of libraries could be identified: large- and medium-sized combinatorial libraries (low scaffold diversity), diverse libraries (medium diversity, medium size), and highly diverse libraries (high diversity, low size). The chemical space covered by the scaffold library can be searched to prioritize scaffold-focused libraries.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗

Chemoselective Tagging of Protein Methacrylation.

Protein lysine methacrylation (Kmea) is a recently identified post-translational modification whose biofunction remains poorly understood. Until now, there has been no chemical labeling method for Kmea modification, which has severely hindered the discovery and functional studies of methacrylated proteins. Here, we developed a photocatalytic thia-Michael reaction system for the chemoselective labeling of protein methacrylation. By exploiting the dual effect of steric hindrance and the stability of the generated C-center radical, the reaction interference of the structural isomer crotonylation can be efficiently avoided. Based on this reaction, a multifunctional water-soluble benzenethiol-azide probe azDSH was designed and synthesized, and a workflow for the specific labeling, enrichment, and identification of Kmea proteins was developed. Proteomic identification of histone and nuclear protein extracts and whole-cell lysate revealed a number of novel Kmea proteins and modification sites besides histones, such as HMGB1, TdIF2, UHRF1, HNRPD, BRWD1, TAF1, TACC1, and SETD3, providing new targets for the study of epigenetic regulation. This study provides an effective method for the analysis of protein methacrylation modifications in biological systems.

Humans↗

Unlocking Zeptomolar Single-Molecule Detection by Synergizing Digital Microfluidics and Digital CRISPR.

Accurate diagnosis relies on the highly sensitive and quantitative detection of multiple immune-related biomarkers. However, current detection methods still face significant limitations in sensitivity, specificity, and background signal control. Here, we introduce DDA (Dual-Digital immunoAssay), a fully automated, universal immunoassay platform that synergizes digital microfluidics with digital Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-based amplification. This "dual-digital" strategy pushes the detection limit into the zeptomolar (zM) regime, enabling unprecedented sensitivity for single-molecule analysis. The DDA platform is built upon a digital microfluidic microwell array chip, integrating magnetic bead-based immunocapture with RNA-guided CRISPR/Cas13a signal amplification. This system enables a fully automated, "sample-in, answer-out" workflow. By systematically optimizing the entire process, DDA significantly reduces background noise and enhances detection sensitivity, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) down to 100 zM for key protein biomarkers. This represents a >100-fold improvement over leading commercial ultrasensitive assays. With single-molecule resolution and full automation, DDA provides a robust solution for the precise quantification of low-abundance immune biomarkers. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate its ability to accurately quantify key heart-failure-associated biomarkers, including NT-proBNP (LOD: 1 aM), IL-6 (LOD: 1.5 aM), and TNF-α (LOD: 2.5 aM), directly in complex serum samples. This platform holds great promise for automated multibiomarker screening and risk assessment, showcasing its powerful potential for the early diagnosis of major diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neurodegenerative disorders, and infectious diseases.

Humans↗

Canalesolide A, a Structurally Unique Polyhydroxy Macrolide from the Marine Cyanobacterium Okeania sp. with Potent Antitrypanosomal Activity.

The discovery of structurally novel natural products remains central to expanding biologically relevant chemical space, particularly within underexplored marine metabolite classes. Herein, we report the discovery and complete structural elucidation of canalesolide A, a new polyhydroxylated macrolide isolated from the marine cyanobacterium Okeania sp. The compound was identified through an integrated workflow combining phenotypic screening against Trypanosoma brucei and LC-MS/MS-based molecular networking, enabling rapid prioritization of bioactive fractions and dereplication of known metabolite families. Spectroscopic analysis revealed that canalesolide A belongs to the bastimolide-related class of macrolides but exhibits a distinct structural architecture. Its structure was established by integrating ultrahigh-resolution NMR spectroscopy, empirical configurational analysis of polyol systems, targeted model compound synthesis, and controlled chemical degradation and derivatization. This combined strategy resolved stereochemical motifs that were inaccessible by direct analysis of the intact macrolide alone, providing a transferable approach for assigning densely oxygenated marine macrolides. Genome mining identified the putative biosynthetic gene cluster and proposed biosynthetic pathway for a bastimolide-related macrolide. Canalesolide A displays potent, low nanomolar antitrypanosomal activity against human-infective subspecies of T. brucei with rapid elimination of parasites within 1 h at 1 μM. Although moderate mammalian cytotoxicity was observed, preliminary in vivo efficacy/toxicity studies in infected mice suggest a narrow therapeutic window highlighting the need for improved selectivity. This study expands the structural and biosynthetic diversity of polyhydroxylated macrolides and establishes a generalizable framework for resolving stereochemically complex natural products.

Macrolides↗

SynchroSep-MS: Parallel LC Separations for Multiplexed Proteomics.

Achieving high throughput remains a challenge in MS-based proteomics for large-scale applications. We introduce SynchroSep-MS, a novel method for parallelized, label-free proteome analysis that leverages the rapid acquisition speed of modern mass spectrometers. This approach employs multiple liquid chromatography columns, each with an independent sample, simultaneously introduced into a single mass spectrometer inlet. A precisely controlled retention time offset between sample injections creates distinct elution profiles, facilitating unambiguous analyte assignment. We modified the DIA-NN workflow to effectively process these unique parallelized data, accounting for retention time offsets. Using a dual-column setup with mouse brain peptides, SynchroSep-MS detected approximately 16,700 unique protein groups, nearly doubling the peptide information obtained from a conventional single proteome analysis. The method demonstrated excellent precision and reproducibility (median protein %RSDs less than 4%) and high quantitative linearity (median R2 greater than 0.96) with minimal matrix interference. SynchroSep-MS represents a new paradigm for data collection and the first example of label-free multiplexed proteome analysis via parallel LC separations, offering a direct strategy to accelerate throughput for demanding applications such as large-scale clinical cohorts and single-cell analyses without compromising peak capacity or causing ionization suppression.

Proteomics↗

Genomic messaging system and DNA mark-up language for information-based personalized medicine with clinical and proteome research applications.

The convergence of clinical medicine and the Life Sciences, commencing with opportunities in clinical trials and clinically linked medical research, presents many novel challenges. The Genomic Messaging System (GMS) described here was originally developed as a tool for assembling clinical genomic records of individual and collective patients, and was then generalized to become a flexible workflow component that will link clinical records to a variety of computational biology research tools, for research and ultimately for a more personalized, focused, and preventative healthcare system. Prominent among the applications linked are protein science applications, including the rapid automated modeling of patient proteins with their individual structural polymorphisms. In an initial study, GMS formed the basis of a fully automated system for modeling patient proteins with structural polymorphisms as a basis for drug selection and ultimately design on an individual patient basis.

Clinical Medicine↗

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic prefractionation of immunodepleted human serum proteins to enhance mass spectrometry identification of lower-abundant proteins.

Serum analysis represents an extreme challenge due to the dynamic range of the proteins of interest, and the high structural complexity of the constituent proteins. In serum, the quantities of proteins and peptides of interest range from those considered "high abundance", present at 2-70% by mass of total protein, to those considered "low abundance", present at 10(-12) M or less. This range of analytical target molecules is outside the realm of available technologies for proteomic analysis. Therefore, in this study, we have developed a workflow toward addressing the complexity of these samples through the application of multidimensional separation techniques. The use of reversed-phase methods for the separation and fractionation of protein samples has been investigated, with the goal of developing an optimized serum separation for application to proteomic analysis. Samples of human serum were depleted of the six most abundant proteins, using an immunoaffinity LC method, then were separated under a variety of reversed-phase (RP) conditions using a macroporous silica C18 surface modified column material. To compare the qualities of the RP separations of this complex protein sample, absorbance chromatograms were compared, and fractions were collected for off-line SDS-PAGE and 2D-LC-MS/MS analysis. The column fractions were further investigated by determination of protein identities using either whole selected fractions, or gel bands excised from SDS-PAGE gels of the fractions. In either case samples underwent tryptic fragmentation and peptide analysis using MALDI-MS or LC-MS/MS. The preferred conditions for RP protein separation exhibited reproducibly high resolution and high protein recoveries (>98%, as determined by protein assay). Using the preferred conditions also permitted high column mass load, with up to 500 microg of protein well tolerated using a 4.6 mm ID x 50 mm column, or up to 1.5 mg on a 9.4 mm ID x 50 mm column. Elevated column temperature (80 degrees C) was observed to be a critical operational parameter, with poorer results observed at lower temperatures. The combination of sample simplification by immunoaffinity depletion combined with a robust and high recovery RP-HPLC fractionation yields samples permitting higher quality protein identifications by coupled LC-MS methods.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification and characterization of the Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 proteome.

Via combined separation approaches, a total of 1399 proteins were identified, representing 47% of the Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 theoretical proteome. This includes 1323 proteins from the soluble fraction, 44 from the insoluble fraction and 32 from the extra-cellular or secreted fraction. We used conventional 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) for the soluble fraction, and shotgun proteomics for all three cell fractions (soluble, insoluble, and secreted). Two gel-based fractionation methods were explored for shotgun proteomics, namely: (i) protein separation utilizing 1-dimensional gel electrophoresis (1-DE) followed by peptide fractionation by iso-electric focusing (IEF), and (ii) protein and peptide fractionation both employing IEF. Results indicate that a 1D-IEF fractionation workflow with three replicate mass spectrometric analyses gave the best overall result for soluble protein identification. A greater than 50% increment in protein identification was achieved with three injections using LC-ESI-MS/MS. Protein and peptide fractionation efficiency; together with the filtration criteria are also discussed.

Archaeal Proteins↗

High recovery HPLC separation of lipid rafts for membrane proteome analysis.

Proteomic analysis of complex samples can be facilitated by protein fractionation prior to enzymatic or chemical fragmentation combined with MS-based identification of peptides. Although aqueous soluble protein fractionation by liquid chromatography is relatively straightforward, membrane protein separations have a variety of technical challenges. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) separations of membrane proteins often exhibit poor recovery and bandwidths, and generally require extensive pretreatment to remove lipids and other membrane components. Human brain tissue lipid raft protein preparations have been used as a model system to develop RP-HPLC conditions that are effective for protein fractionation, and are compatible with downstream proteomic analytical workflows. By the use of an appropriate RP column material and operational conditions, human brain membrane raft proteins were successfully resolved by RP-HPLC and some of the protein components, including specific integral membrane proteins, identified by downstream SDS-PAGE combined with in-gel digestion, or in-solution digestion and LC-MS/MS analysis of tryptic fragments. Using the described method, total protein recovery was high, and the repeatability of the separation maintained after repeated injections of membrane raft preparations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Detection and identification of sub-nanogram levels of protein in a nanoLC-trypsin-MS system.

Proteomic workflows involving liquid-based protein separations are an alternative to gel-based protein analysis, however the trypsin digestion procedure is usually difficult to implement, particularly when processing low abundance proteins from capillary column effluent. To convert the protein to peptides for the purpose of identification, current protocols require several sample handling steps, and sample losses become an issue. In this study, we present an improved system that conducts reversed-phase protein chromatography and rapid on-line tryptic digestion requiring sub-nanogram quantities of protein. This system employs a novel mirror-gradient concept that allows for dynamic titration of the column effluent to create optimal conditions for real-time tryptic digestion. The purpose behind this development was to improve the limits of detection of the online concept, to support flow-based alternatives to gel-based proteomics and to simplify the characterization of low abundance proteins. Using test mixtures of proteins, we show that peptide mass fingerprinting with high sequence representation can be easily achieved at the 20 fmol level, with detection limits down to 5 fmol (85 pg myoglobin). Limits of identification using standard data-dependent MS/MS experiments are as low as 10 fmol. These results suggest that the nanoLC-trypsin-MS/MS system could represent an alternative to the conventional "1D-gel to MS" proteomic strategy.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Filmless cardiac imaging: motion or commotion?

At present times the medical cardiology imaging is still arguing about the usefulness of X-Ray Cine film in comparison with digital and filmless imaging. It is clear that both techniques have their advantages. X-Ray Cine film is a well established technique of which the possibilities are well known. At a first glance filmless imaging offers nothing but advantages. However the whole picture becomes clear when trying to implement these systems in a clinical environment, because at that time aspects of investments, technological continuity and risks, needed skills and effects on the workflow appear. This article has the purpose to clarify some of these aspects and give guidance in the difficult process of making the right decision.

Cineangiography↗

Development and assessment of a computer-based preanesthetic patient evaluation system for obstetrical anesthesia.

Computerization of the medical record in various outpatient settings has been successful but for anesthesiologists, the preoperative visit differs significantly. This study implemented a computerized version of a structured preanesthetic evaluation questionnaire that we had previously developed and which provided a starting point for developing a suitable vocabulary and workflow. Using the computerized version, pre-anesthetic evaluations were performed on 26 obstetric patients over a 20-week period. The introduction of a computer into the physician-patient relationship did not disrupt the examination. It markedly reduced time-consuming tasks (such as dictation), captured far more detail than found in our previously dictated and handwritten notes and provided immediately available data for quality assurance activities.

Adult↗

Simulation analysis of pneumatic tube systems.

Pneumatic tube systems play an important material handling role in many hospitals. These systems are costly and complex to design and operate, yet little exists in the way of analytical methodologies for them. We present a decision support framework based on defining relevant system performance metrics, traffic analysis reporting, as well as discrete event simulation modeling. We have used this approach to analyze numerous pneumatic tubes systems in the United States and present a representative case study from a large tertiary care hospital. Our general approach can be generalized to other computer controlled hospital operational systems such as elevators, track vehicles, automatic guided vehicles, workflow enabled processes, and laboratory automation systems.

Computer Simulation↗

Multicenter evaluation of an enzyme immunoassay (Platelia Aspergillus) for the detection of Aspergillus antigen in serum.

Invasive aspergillosis is a serious problem for immunocompromised patients, especially if neutropenic. The diagnosis of this infection is complicated, since clinical symptoms are often similar to those of other fungal diseases. The chance of detecting the presence of a specific antigen in the serum could confirm the suspected clinical diagnosis and. perhaps, be useful for the follow-up of the patient. The Medical Mycology Committee of the Associazione Microbiologi Clinici Italiani (AMCLI) decided to evaluate in a multicenter prospective study (from I November 1998 to 28 February 1999) the performance of the Platelia Aspergillus Kit (Bio-Rad) for the detection of Aspergillus galactomannan in human serum. The enrolled patients included various groups of immunosuppressed patients (mostly neutropenic). Blood samples were drawn at the time of enrollment. This decision was based upon a clinical diagnosis of probable aspergillosis (antibiotic non-responsive fever for at least 96 hours, cough, hemophthosis and positive chest X-ray). Additional blood samples were drawn on days 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 21. Culture and histopathologic examinations were performed according to the individual laboratory workflow. For each patient the laboratory filled a form with all the available clinical information, to create a database on which to evaluate the results of the test. During the study, 187 patients with various kinds of immunosuppression were enrolled. A total of 256 sera were tested: for 117 patients (62.6%) only the basal sample was tested, whereas for the 70 symptomatic patients (37.4%) multiple specimens (range: 1-6) were tested. The results allowed the laboratories to exclude (68.6%) or confirm (31.5%: confirmed and/or probable) the clinical diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis; 4 cases remained undetermined. Based on the results of this study, it seems that the use of this test should be limited to those patients with clinical symptoms of aspergillosis.

Antigens, Fungal↗

Preparation of Escherichia coli cell extract for highly productive cell-free protein expression.

As structural genomics and proteomics research has become popular, the importance of cell-free protein synthesis systems has been realized for high-throughput expression. Our group has established a high-throughput pipeline for protein sample preparation for structural genomics and proteomics by using cell-free protein synthesis. Among the many procedures for cell-free protein synthesis, the preparation of the cell extract is a crucial step to establish a highly efficient and reproducible workflow. In this article, we describe a detailed protocol for E. coli cell extract preparation for cell-free protein synthesis, which we have developed and routinely use. The cell extract prepared according to this protocol is used for many of our cell-free synthesis applications, including high-throughput protein expression using PCR-amplified templates and large-scale protein production for structure determinations.

Cell Fractionation↗

A rapid microwave protocol for Heck vinylation of aryl chlorides under air.

In modern high-throughput chemistry, the overall workflow is a crucial factor and much work is devoted to speeding up the process of chemistry development. Since automated microwave-based synthesizers are known to streamline the compound production and to accelerate slow organic transformations, this technology was implemented for Heck reactions with sluggish aryl chlorides. Furthermore, homogeneous palladium-catalyzed Heck vinylations of aryl chlorides can be performed under air under optimized conditions. Based on this finding, controlled microwave heating was utilized to accelerate model reactions down to 30 min employing a mixture of ionic liquid and 1,4-dioxane as solvent.

Chemistry, Organic↗