CASE STUDY: Gel-based protein analytics goes digital

The Organisation

Founded in Germany in 2007, NH DyeAGNOSTICS successfully applies long-term firsthand experience in proteomics to create attractive products and services, providing customers with a unique combination of advantages in quality and price.

The Atik integration

Camera-based systems for gel analytics are great alternatives to scanners. They dramatically reduce the imaging time, especially in large gel formats (2D gels). The ORCA Analyzer from NH DyeAGNOSTICS is a novel system for stain-free, fully automated gel imaging and rapid, user-independent gel-based protein analytics.

Sitting inside the ORCA Analyzer is a 6.0MP camera from the Atik OEM Series, which combines with patented UFO fluorescent labelling technology to provide sensitive and rapid sample detection. The high sensitivity of the camera enables detection of protein amounts as low as 10 ng. The system has an exceptionally broad dynamic range (true 16 bit), up to 1000× higher compared to that of traditional protein staining (i.e., Coomassie or silver). These properties empower detection of high and low-intensity signals within the same sample and /or gel at the same time. Since there is no staining or destaining required to visualise protein samples in the gel, a comprehensive sample analysis including digital qualitative and quantitative evaluation of up to 52 samples can be performed in under 100 minutes.

The OEM Series

The ORCA Analyzer and the Atik OEM Series is successfully used in medical routine laboratories for urine protein analytics, supporting differential diagnosis of diseases and conditions accompanied by proteinuria. The system provides gel imaging and digital sample analytics, including relative quantification and automated generation of the report within just one minute.

ORCA automated analytics report

In addition to urine protein analytics, the ORCA Analyzer, together with fluorescent labelling technology from NH DyeAGNOSTICS GmbH, are perfectly applicable for any type of high throughput gel-based protein analytics. It can be used, among others, for applications like crop testing, protein expression and purification studies.

You can view the ORCA Analyzer and Atik OEM Series in action in the below video: