GUILFORD, Conn.– Quantum-Si Incorporated (Nasdaq: QSI) (“Quantum-Si,” “QSI” or the “Company”), The Protein Sequencing Company™, today announced the commercial availability of Platinum™, the world’s first next-generation single-molecule protein sequencing platform. Platinum will be offered at an unprecedented low price-point of $70,000, while its small 19.5 inch by 8.5 inch footprint benchtop design is poised to greatly improve access to high-resolution protein sequencing data, ultimately accelerating breakthroughs across scientific disciplines—from drug discovery to biotech—and helping people live healthier and longer lives.
The launch of Platinum marks Quantum-Si’s movement out of almost a decade of stealth innovation. The Company was founded in 2013 by world-renowned scientist, entrepreneur, and National Medal of Technology and Innovation recipient Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, an original pioneer of next generation genome sequencing. Jeff Hawkins was appointed CEO in October and brings extensive experience from the life-sciences and diagnostics space, including senior leadership positions at Illumina. With many on the leadership team having played an active role in the advent of next-generation sequencing technology, Quantum-Si is well positioned to disrupt the current state of protein sequencing.
“Next-generation protein sequencing represents the vanguard of new therapeutic discovery, however, no other company has met the promise of delivering an accessible single-molecule protein sequencing platform – until today,” said Jeff Hawkins, CEO of Quantum-Si. “Our ability to both discover and characterize potential protein targets has been critically limited by current technology. Platinum delivers on a decade’s long mission to dramatically improve access and scalability of single-molecule protein sequencing.”
Before today, proteomics technology has been hindered by its use of large expensive machinery, technically challenging and time-consuming protocols, and a lack of custom probes that can reliably distinguish between amino acids, much less those with post translational modifications. In contrast, Quantum-Si’s next-generation sequencing system leverages Time Domain Sequencing™ technology which alleviates this hurdle by monitoring for amino-acid specific patterns in fluorescent probe behavior. This means that a single probe can be used for the robust identification of multiple distinct amino acids, including those containing post translational modifications. This approach provides a sensitive scalability that eliminates roadblocks of complex chemistry and large, expensive equipment utilized by other technologies, while providing the sensitivity, scalability, and accessibility needed to accelerate biomedical research.
“We learned from the success of next-generation DNA sequencing how to move beyond big machines, expensive facilities and the need for significant training, and we saw the benefits of placing the power of sequencing into the hands of individual researchers,” said Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, Founder of Quantum-Si. “Now with the invention of next-generation Protein sequencing with Platinum we’ve gone directly to the desktop with a simple to use system that works the way our customers do.”
The Company also announced it has appointed Grace Johnston, PhD, to the position of Chief Commercial Officer. In this role, Dr. Johnston will have global responsibility for all commercial activity including sales, marketing, and customer support. Dr. Johnston brings a depth of experience in go-to-market commercial strategy to Quantum-Si. She joins from Fortis Life Sciences where she served as CCO for over two years. Prior to Fortis, she held leadership positions at multinational corporations such as Merck Millipore and Sartorius.
“With Platinum’s advanced capabilities and innovative technology, customers will be able to uncover new insights within the proteome and make breakthrough therapeutic discoveries that were previously impossible,” said Dr. Johnston. “I am thrilled to join a leadership team helping scientists answer these important questions about the proteome. We believe Platinum will drive the next generation of protein research and unlock the full potential of these important biological molecules.”
