TTP LabTech partner with leading crystallographer

The mosquito® LCP provides fully automated solution to in meso protein crystallography 

At the Society for Biomolecular Screening (SBS) conference 2011, TTP LabTech has announced an exciting collaboration with a world leader in membrane protein crystallography. Here, Professor Martin Caffrey, Trinity College, Dublin, renowned for automating and miniaturizing the in meso method, has highlighted a number of attractive features of the new mosquito^® LCP instrument.

The mosquito^® LCP was designed to be able to handle the highly viscous phase used in the in meso (LCP) technique of membrane protein crystallography, offering a fully automated solution to lipid cubic phase screening. In an interview with Professor Caffrey, he stated, “mosquito^® is highly suitable for both the in meso and in surfo crystallization of membrane proteins. Furthermore, the low cost disposable, positive displacement tips, enable precipitant additions with zero cross contamination”.

He further remarked, “Excellent tip location and reproducible and accurate tip return was of great benefit for the precise positioning of drops, required for efficient crystallization of the membrane proteins.” He continued, “mosquito® LCP also boasts a small footprint, not only does it occupy minimal bench space, but it is easily transported to environmentally controlled rooms for the successful crystallization of sensitive membrane protein crystals.”

Joby Jenkins, Product Manager for the mosquito^® LCP, commented, “It’s a real privilege to be working with Professor Caffrey, it is a great credit to the instrument that he is using it in his research.” He continued, “This instrument improves the accessibility of the LCP technique to the membrane protein crystallography community. Interest in the mosquito^® LCP has been overwhelming, with worldwide instrument sales far outweighing our expectations”.

mosquito^® LCP was originally developed in collaboration with Prof Gebhard Schertler, of the Paull Scherrer institute, Switzerland, and Pat Edwards from the MRC, LMB Cambridge, UK, for protein crystallography. Building on the success and capabilities of the original mosquito^® Crystal for automated protein crystallography, the mosquito® LCP, offers a fully automated solution to lipid cubic phase screening.