SMi’s powerful biomedical research platform
SMi is revolutionising the world of molecular science by coupling proprietary computational modelling with super-resolution imaging to provide unprecedented quantification of single molecules to pave the way for a new era of scientific advancements.
Unprecedented quality
Single molecule resolution detection and quantification provides information that is transformative. Researchers get far more information from each experiment which provides confidence in results, allows more informed decisions and speeds workflows.
1000’s of candidates screened per hour
The combination of multi-omics and a high-throughput format allows large sample numbers to be tested, generates vast amounts of valuable data, and reduces experimental backlogs.
Reducing materials needs
A requirement for low sample sizes (20μl of a femtomolar sample is sufficient) allows even low yield samples to be tested and dramatically reduces the cost of their production.
Extremely rapid detection
Detection can be completed in less than a second per sample, and for time-dependent measurements you choose how long to watch your sample. With SMi’s platform there are many ways to determine commonly measured parameters such as on/off rates and affinity, and with single molecule resolution even the rarest of molecular interactions are captured.
Ease of use
SMi’s platform was designed in consultation with research scientists and diagnostics providers. This resulted in an automated platform that can be used with minimal user training.
Flexibility
Pre-designed panels and user-defined panels are available. For user-defined panels, researchers label their target molecule with an SMi tag and allow these to couple to a specific region of the consumable at their lab bench. By adding user-defined molecules to a predefined panel, both experimental controls and the unknowns can be analysed at the same time.
Dynamic drug interactions
SMi’s optical technology enables the direct observation of molecular interactions for the first time. Drug interactions are dynamic. They are a combination of a drug binding and unbinding to the target.
A critical bottleneck in drug development is screening drugs to determine:
• What target a drug binds to
• Where a drug binds on the target
• How tightly the drug binds
Single molecule resolution
SMi’s technology permits direct visualisation of the process at a single molecule resolution, providing scientists with a much greater depth of information than the averaged results of existing approaches.
In this example, super-resolution images of drug molecules binding to individual target proteins can be monitored over time and viewed as probability plots. Three distinct binding peaks correspond exactly with the binding sites from crystal structures of the same target protein (bottom right).
We have therefore determined both the number and locations of the binding sites. Such data are critical for drug discovery and have never previously been viewed with such high precision.
Devices to revolutionise screening
SMi’s platform can be used to screen for new therapeutic candidates, direct lead optimisation and determine the underlying state transitions of a target protein. A great example of this can be found here.
SMi’s devices provide a simple, rapid, cost-effective and information-rich approach using high-throughput screening of small molecules, monoclonal antibodies and for vaccines development. This can be achieved even at targets that are traditionally hard to reach – including membrane-bound proteins such as ion channels and GPCRs.
If you are currently performing cumbersome techniques such as ELISA, PCR or SPR, SMi can simplify your workflow.
If you would like more information about SMi’s drug discovery technology, please get in touch
