Laboratory News & BioScience May 2017

NEW ZEALAND LABORATORY NEWS | NEW ZEALAND BIOSCIENCE
Molecular phenomenon discovered by
advanced NMR facility
Cutting edge technology has
shown a molecule self-assembling
into different forms when passing
between solution state to solid
state, and back again – a curious
phenomenon in science – says
research by the University of
Warwick.
Professor Steven P. Brown
Professor Steven P. Brown from the Department
of Physics, with colleagues
in the Department of Chemistry, have
identified that the supramolecular structure
of a guanosine derivative can be different
upon passing from the solid state into the
solution state and vice versa.
This defies chemical precedent, as self-assembled
structures driven by the formation
of specific intermolecular hydrogen bonds
in solution would be expected to remain the
same in the solid state.
The phenomenon was revealed by the
state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR) facility at Warwick.
In solution state, the guanosine derivative
analysed by the researchers is constituted by
quartet-like molecular structure – and scientific
intuition would suggests that this should
remain like this in the solid state.
However, upon changing into the solid
state, the supramolecular assembly surprisingly
contains both quartet and ribbon structures.
Professor Brown and his colleagues made
this discovery using advanced NMR spectroscopy
technology, which measures the
magnetic response of nuclei at the centre of
atoms. The researchers identified the distinct
supramolecular states by spotting varying
peaks in spectra that identify close approach
of these magnetic nuclei in atoms.
Professor Brown comments:
“Access to state-of-the-art NMR infrastructure
has enabled us to see with chemical precision
how the guanosine-based molecules
self-assemble, thus revealing the surprising
phenomenon of a change in self-assembly
upon going changing from solution to solid
and from solid to solution.”
The University of Warwick’s national solidstate
NMR facility is directed by Professor
Brown and a Facility Executive with scientists
from 4 other UK universities - and was officially
launched in 2010. The facility and this
research is funded by the Engineering and
Physical Sciences Research Council.
The research, ‘Co-existence of Distinct Supramolecular
Assemblies in Solution and in
the Solid State’, is published in Chemistry: A
European Journal – and is designated a Very
Important Paper.
Professor Brown collaborated with researchers
in Italy and the U.S.A.
VOL. 26 NO. 2 | MAY 2017
Single cell technology company Dolomite Bio
celebrates a successful first year
Dolomite Bio, a brand of Blacktrace
Holdings Limited, celebrated the first
anniversary of its launch recently.
This marked the end of a fruitful year in
business. This biology-focused brand, a spin
out from sister company Dolomite Microfluidics,
is dedicated to the development of innovative
products for high throughput single
cell encapsulation.
A prosperous initial year of trading has
seen Dolomite Bio grow significantly with
clients in 32 countries, including major academic
institutions and pharma companies
and exceed its sales targets by 63 percent.
Dolomite Bio’s core technology is open
and fully scalable, enabling microdroplet
encapsulation of individual cells and molecules
– from a few to millions in just a few
minutes. It is ideal for a wide variety of high
throughput, single cell research applications,
including:
• Single cell RNA-Seq
• Direct isolation of functional antibody coding
sequence libraries
• Profiling natively-paired T-cell receptors
• Directed evolution by FACS sorting
• Functional antibody screening in droplets
• Cell encapsulation in hydrogels
Mike Hawes, CEO of Dolomite Bio, said:
“Our first year’s sales clearly demonstrate
the potential of Dolomite Bio and its single
cell technology. With a team of single cell
experts and numerous
exciting developments
underway, Dolomite Bio is
in an excellent position to
continue this growth and
we look forward to further
success in the coming
year.”
Mark Gilligan, CEO of
Blacktrace Holdings Ltd,
said: “Dolomite Bio was
launched to focus on
developing novel products
for high throughput
single cell research, taking
advantage of Dolomite
Microfluidics’ underlying
technology and the Blacktrace
group’s understanding
of the market to serve customers in this
rapidly growing field. One year on, we are
delighted with the brand’s progress, and look
forward to further success as we move into
the future.”
For more info, visit www.dolomite-bio.com
[ 7 ]