Gene therapies hold tremendous promise for enhancing quality of life for millions, but it can take ten-plus years and cost billions of dollars to advance from discovery, development, and regulatory approval. And high costs don’t end in the clinic; such therapies often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Addressing these bottlenecks had been the shared vision of Waters and Wyatt Technology, both leading players in bioanalytical characterization solutions widely used in biologics discovery and development. Now, less than a year after Waters acquired Wyatt Technology, this shared vision is a step closer to reality with the launch of HPLC CONNECT™, an integrated software that allows scientists to run SEC-MALS from a single, familiar environment using Wyatt’s legacy software (ASTRA™).
Connectivity is seamless, with HPLC CONNECT digitally integrating Waters LC systems and Wyatt MALS instruments in one software ecosystem. The tool saves users time on method development, experiment execution and data processing. Through HPLC CONNECT, ASTRA software can be used to control the Waters HPLC stack, import digital UV signals, control fraction collectors, and monitor status of key Waters components. This unified interface enables single point of control and data collection to help reduce human error and deliver unmatched confidence in the data generated during data acquisition and post-acquisition for analysis.
The HPLC CONNECT module works with standard Waters HPLC hardware, including pumps, autosamplers, column ovens, UV/Vis detectors, and fraction collectors. Users simply set UV parameters and acquire all signals digitally, without any external cabling required. Up to two UV channels can be selected for analysis, even after collection, which is especially important for a gene therapy Empty/Full assay. Key parameters such as vial position, injection volume and flow rate are specified in ASTRA's sequences. The integrated software also eliminates the need for separate HPLC and light scattering software, and HPLC modules are listed together with Wyatt detectors in a common experiment configuration.
HPLC CONNECT makes characterization a breeze across size exclusion chromatography and multi-angle light scattering or field flow fractionation and MALS typically found in biopharmaceutical labs. The technology is especially important for more complex samples that benefit from multiple orthogonal detection after LC fractionation. These include protein conjugates such as antibody drug conjugates, gene therapies and lipid nanoparticles.
Customers with an Arc™ or an Arc™ Premier and Wyatt MALS instruments can purchase the latest version today. And while other LC systems from Waters are still supported through analog connections, the company plans to introduce in 2024 MALS integration with additional HPLC and UPLC instruments as well as support of FFF-MALS.
For more information on HPLC CONNECT visit the website