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NanoTemper debuts the newly redesigned Monolith, offering higher-quality molecular interaction measurements for very challenging targets

3 min read
Sep 10, 2020
Three monolith instruments, left, front, and right views

PRESS RELEASE

South San Francisco, CA. NanoTemper Technologies, well-known for creating biophysical tools that address challenging characterizations, today announced the new Monolith, redesigned for a more user-friendly workflow, quicker assay development, and higher quality MicroScale Thermophoresis (MST) measurements for molecular interactions. These updates make the experience of examining challenging targets such as membrane proteins, intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), RNA-based therapeutics better than its predecessor.

“It was important for us to keep all the same attributes our customers value — a broad sensitivity range to measure weak and strong affinities, measurements in solution, sample conservation, and the ability to characterize interactions with many types of molecules or samples,” comments Matthias Molnar, Product Manager at NanoTemper. “And, to make improvements that really enhance our users’ experience.”

The biggest impact on users’ workflows is the improved temperature control, achieved with the direct contact between the thermal elements and the capillaries. “For scientists, this is huge,” said Philipp Baaske, Co-CEO of NanoTemper, “because it creates very stable assay conditions resulting in better reproducibility, which translates into higher-quality data.” Another improvement lets Monolith Pico users turn off pico mode — used for very strong affinities — if they are dealing with weak ones to bring the sensitivity down to nano levels. “This feature and the fact that people have an option to add a nano detection channel in the Pico model should make this the preferred option for every lab,” added Baaske.

“At first glance, you’ll notice a larger touchscreen that displays real-time parameters which allow users to see the status of their assays even from far away,” says Molnar. Also, included is a short on-screen tutorial on how super easy it is to operate the instrument. The capillary tray got a makeover too: with deeper grooves that are spatially separated in a user-friendly way, capillaries sit more securely as they are loaded onto the tray and allow the user to load individual capillaries more easily.

Another upgrade enhances assay development with the combination of more capillary positions — increased from 16 to 24 — and the new MO.Control 2 software. Users are able to screen up to six different buffer conditions in only 15 minutes. “Spending less time in assay development and more time generating results is every scientist’s wish,” concluded Molnar.

MST has always been recognized as the technology that characterizes really challenging molecular interactions that other technologies simply can’t do. It’s because MST measures in solution, in close to native conditions, and requires very small amounts of sample. Helping scientists characterize molecular interactions with these targets is where Monolith and MST will have the most significant impact on scientists doing drug discovery or basic research moving forward.

Visit nanotempertech.com/monolith to find out more details. For the most up-to-date information, follow NanoTemper on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

About NanoTemper Technologies

Our mission at NanoTemper Technologies is to enable everyone to do science that matters by always pushing the limits. We’re focused on making tools that address challenging characterizations for use in drug discovery and basic science research. Working with scientists striving to make a difference in the world gets us excited. If you’re facing challenges with affinity screening, molecular interactions, protein stability, or protein quality, let’s talk.

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