BILLERICA, Mass.– Bruker Corporation (Nasdaq: BRKR) today announced the acquisition of PepSep, a Danish company specializing in nanoflow liquid chromatography (nanoLC) columns, specialty emitters and components to optimize nanoflow proteomics workflows, which are extensively used in Bruker’s nanoElute® UHPLC system. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded by Peter Nielsen, PepSep makes unique columns that minimize post-column eluent mixing. This innovation gives excellent nanoLC performance with a standard connector, enhancing robust, routine ease-of-use as the emitter-tip remains in position while the column is exchanged.
Peter Nielsen said: “It is great to be part of Bruker as it allows the PepSep team to focus on innovation in separations for ultra-high throughput proteomics on the timsTOF platform. Matching separations technology that is ultra-robust and delivers the best sensitivity for high-speed TIMS/PASEF detection, with the ease of use of non-integrated tips was important, and we now can continue to develop chemistries to drive performance enhancements for 4D-Proteomics and 4D-Lipidomics applications.”
Dr. Brett Phinney, Proteomics Core Director at the UC Davis Genome Center, has been using PepSep products for about a year, and stated: “I’m happy to use PepSep columns in my laboratory. They are better than what I can make myself, and my short gradient results are impressive. These are by far the best columns I’ve used to date.”
Bruker is also pleased to announce an OEM partnership and agreement with IonOpticks Pty Ltd in Melbourne, Australia. IonOpticks was founded by Associate Professor Andrew Webb from The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) and his colleagues Drs. Jarrod Sandow and Guiseppe Infusini. IonOpticks offers Aurora columns with nanoZero® UHPLC fitting and integrated packed emitter tips that result in excellent peak shapes and maximized separation power. Andrew Webb and team created a unique emitter design with no post-column dead volume and the user friendly ‘plug and play’ nanoZero connection. IonOpticks will now produce the Bruker Focus series nanoLC columns with identical performance as the Aurora series.
Dr. Andrew Webb commented: “Ultra-high throughput proteomics, where we analyze large patient cohorts, will allow us to compare signatures not just across disease states but to truly understand disease in the context of health. My WEHI lab was an early adopter of the timsTOF technology which allowed us to run faster methods, and the Aurora columns deliver the ultra-high sensitivity with unmatched robustness required to run 50 SPD (samples per day) methods.”
Dr. Michael Krawitzky, Bruker’s Product Manager for LC-MS consumables, stated: “The addition of PepSep’s column portfolio combined with the IonOpticks high-performance pulled tip columns provide our timsTOF customers more nanoLC choices to advance their applications. Our timsTOF customers expect excellent sensitivity and robustness, which this combined Bruker and OEM nanoLC portfolio will add.”
