image: Ken Miller, vice president of research product marketing at Thermo Fisher Scientific, R. Sanders Williams, M.D., president of Gladstone Institutes, Nevan Krogan, Ph.D., senior investigator at Gladstone Institutes, Sam Hawgood, MBBS, chancellor of UCSF, at a reception for the new Thermo Fisher Scientific Proteomics Facility for Disease Target Discovery at the Gladstone Institutes. view more
Credit: Chris Goodfellow, Gladstone Institutes
SAN FRANCISCO, CA--June 24, 2015--The Thermo Fisher Scientific Proteomics Facility for Disease Target Discovery opened today at the Gladstone Institutes, as part of a collaboration between Thermo Fisher, Gladstone, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and QB3, to accelerate targeted proteomics research using the most advanced mass spectrometry technologies.
The Thermo Fisher Scientific Proteomics Facility is directed by Nevan J. Krogan, PhD, senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at UCSF, and director of the UCSF division of the life science research institute and startup accelerator QB3. The facility will provide scientists from Gladstone, UCSF, and QB3 with state-of-the-art mass spectrometry technologies to characterize protein dynamics in complex biological systems. The technologies will enable scientists to acquire unprecedented knowledge about the interactions between genes and the proteins they produce, and help facilitate solutions to unanswered biomedical problems.
Among the various cutting-edge approaches available in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Proteomics Facility are:
- Creation of high-resolution protein-protein interaction maps and advanced protein characterization
- Genome-directed proteomic screening and selection
- Ultra-sensitive, quantitative analysis of protein abundance and post-translational modifications
"We know that human cells contain approximately 25,000 genes that instruct the synthesis of many thousands of proteins, but we understand the function of only a small subset of these," said R. Sanders Williams, MD, president and Robert W. and Linda L. Mahley Distinguished Professor, Gladstone Institutes. "We are deeply grateful to Thermo Fisher for sponsoring this indispensable facility, which will not only illuminate how genes and proteins function but also shed light on the underlying biology of disease for each person."
The facility will showcase the latest mass spectrometers for detailed biological discovery and quantitation, including the new Orbitrap Fusion Tribrid and TSQ Quantiva Triple Quadrupole LC/MS systems. In addition to enabling innovative research, the Thermo Fisher facility will be a focal point for promoting biological applications of mass spectrometry by hosting an invited lecture series, discussion groups, workshops, and trainings.
"Gladstone, UCSF, QB3, and Dr. Krogan's lab, including key members such as Jeffrey Johnson, PhD, have been doing exceptional work in the area of genetic and protein mapping in order to gain insight into disease pathways and mutations," said Ken Miller, vice president, research product marketing, Thermo Fisher. "Through our collaboration, the new facility will enable researchers to apply state-of-the-art proteomics technologies to this critical area of research. We look forward to building on this collaboration and seeing the promising discoveries to come."
"The new Thermo Fisher-sponsored facility will be of great benefit to researchers throughout the UCSF community and beyond," said Sam Hawgood, MBBS, chancellor of UCSF. "By using these Thermo Fisher technologies, scientists will succeed in building comprehensive maps of how genes and proteins interact--knowledge that may lead to new drug targets for a host of devastating diseases."
"Thermo Fisher is the perfect partner for this collaboration, both in terms of their technology and their willingness to support and grow the proteomics community," stated Dr. Krogan. "Our research is critically dependent on our ability to perform detailed protein analysis with extreme sensitivity and accuracy. We require the most advanced mass spectrometers to continue our studies."
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About the Gladstone Institutes
To ensure our work does the greatest good, the Gladstone Institutes focuses on conditions with profound medical, economic, and social impact--unsolved diseases of the brain, the heart, and the immune system. Affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, Gladstone is an independent, nonprofit life science research organization that uses visionary science and technology to overcome disease.
About UCSF
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences, as well as a preeminent biomedical research enterprise and two top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco.
About QB3
QB3 is a cooperative effort among private industry and more than 250 scientists at UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley, and UC Santa Cruz. One of four institutes created in 2000 by former California governor Gray Davis, QB3 has joint missions of supporting science, driving the California economy and transforming research into public good. QB3 commercializes UC research by supporting entrepreneurs and creating mutually beneficial partnerships with industry. The effort has led to the launching of hundreds of biotech startups and significant job creation in the San Francisco Bay Area. QB3 is also affiliated with Mission Bay Capital, a $36M seed-stage venture capital fund investing in startups in the UC ecosystem. Visit qb3.org.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of $17 billion and approximately 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 http://www.thermofisher.com.