Isogenica announces new collaboration with Professor Sir Tom Blundell of the University of Cambridge

Release date: 2 November 2010 , Cambridge UK

Isogenica announces new collaboration with Professor Sir Tom Blundell of the University of Cambridge

Isogenica and the University of Cambridge to apply leading edge molecular modelling to optimise Isogenica’s novel peptide scaffold libraries

Isogenica Ltd today announced that it has entered into a collaborative agreement with Professor Sir Tom Blundell of the University of Cambridge.

The initial focus of the collaboration will involve the use of leading edge molecular modelling techniques to further optimise a novel peptide scaffold framework that has already demonstrated high affinity binding to targets and is amendable to chemical synthesis.  The optimised scaffold will form the basis of a new library format which Isogenica will add to its existing libraries.  This will then be offered as part of Isogenica’s discovery service.

Kevin Matthews, CEO of Isogenica commented: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Professor Sir Tom Blundell and his research team.  As a company we are focused on servicing the protein engineering needs of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.  One element of this is to employ modelling tools to understand the structural space that is inhabited by the proteins we discover, and as a result, combine in-silico and in-vitro techniques to optimise lead candidate development for targeting protein-protein interactions in drug discovery.  The peptide scaffold also offers opportunities for reagent development.”

Press enquiries:

Sarah Brereton, Limewash Media & Design         M: +44 (0)7796 583 223

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Kevin Matthews, Isogenica Ltd                           M: +44 1799 533682

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Note to Editor

About Isogenica:

Isogenica specialises in providing protein engineering services using its core technology, “CIS display”, to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for the discovery, identification and design of new peptide, polypeptide and antibody lead compounds. CIS display can construct within a few hours polypeptide libraries of unprecedented size and complexity in vitro, without the need for cloning. These can be processed to identify better products and motifs in just a few days. Active peptides with antibody-like levels of affinity and specificity for target compounds can be isolated and then rapidly matured to optimise desirable qualities. CIS display technology has particular benefits against biological membrane preparations, cells and bacteria. The technology is adaptable for the display of different proteins and has been licensed for the Centyrin scaffold.  www.isogenica.com