Exploring the Applications of Picodroplet Mass Spectrometry

Introduction

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a widely applied analytical tool underpinning important commercial sectors like biotechnology, pharmaceutics, and environmental analysis. A significant drawback is that the analysis is destructive, resulting in irretrievable sample loss and making MS nonideal when the sample is expensive or scarce.

Technology Overview

We pioneered a technology capable of reducing the amount of sample consumed during MS by over 4000 times compared to the existing state-of-the-art by using picolitre (10^-12 L) droplets. Because these sample volumes are so small, our technology will significantly accelerate otherwise time-consuming preparative chemistry, benefitting end users in the above-mentioned sectors.

Anticipated Commercial Benefits

Anticipated commercial benefits include:

1. Improved cost-effectiveness
2. Increased productivity gains arising from over 99.9% cost savings on samples
3. Substantial cost savings on staff time

The commercial adoption of our technology will lead to new services and increased sales by enabling analysis of samples too scarce for current technologies.

Environmental and Health Benefits

The considerable reduction in sample consumption will provide environmental benefits. Additionally, the capability to accelerate, for example, the drug discovery process may yield health benefits. Consequently, our picodroplet MS technology has the potential to become the method of choice for a diverse range of MS end users.

Strategic Development

To achieve these envisioned impacts, we will develop relationships with key industrial stakeholders in the analytical instrumentation sector. Building on our recent patent application, we will advance our IPR strategy by evaluating market and licensee requirements.

Engagement with End Users

We will engage directly with leading MS end users to quantify the benefits of our technology in the important application areas of:

• Reaction discovery
• Biomolecular analysis
• Environmental sampling

This PoC will facilitate comprehensive evaluation of our technology’s strengths relative to competitors and maximize its commercial potential.