Overcoming bottlenecks in early drug discovery with the power of sound

Medicines Discovery Catapult has today (October 22) announced a collaboration with AstraZeneca to advance the adoption of Acoustic Mist Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (AMI-MS) within drug discovery.

For the first time UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will have access to this state-of-the-art bioanalytical technology through research partnerships with the Catapult.

The collaboration will also enable AstraZeneca to further unlock the potential of AMI-MS by accessing Medicines Discovery Catapult’s technical expertise.

Both organisations operate out of Alderley Park, near Macclesfield.

Mass Spectrometry is a powerful technique that enables scientists to study both the amount and identity of many molecules present in a biological sample and so is a powerful tool for drug discovery.

However, the limited speed of the technology and the need for extensive sample preparation limits its use.

Many researchers, therefore, rely on expensive indirect analysis approaches.

Acoustic Mist Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (AMI-MS) sends a sonic pulse, or sound waves, through liquid samples creating a ‘mountain’ of liquid on the surface.

A second pulse through the liquid explodes the mountain into hundreds of droplets, in effect, sending a tornado of small droplets into the mass spectrometer.

This means that researchers will be able to conduct contactless and contamination-free assays, without extensive sample preparation, at a rate of up to three samples per second or 100,000 samples per day.

Therefore, making drug discovery faster, cheaper and more efficient and enabling a wider range of scientists to access the power of mass spectrometry in discovering new medicines.

Ultimately, this will help the UK drug discovery scientists get better medicines to patients faster.

Dr Peter Simpson, chief scientific officer of the Medicines Discovery Catapult, said: “It is important for us to enable UK SMEs to use hard-to-access sophisticated bioanalytical technologies.

“For the first time, using the power of sound energy, this state-of-the-art technology gives our partner SMEs the potential to better understand and more rapidly advance their promising drug candidates.”

Dr Jon Wingfield, principal scientist, innovative medicines and early development biotech unit at AstraZeneca, added: “We are investing in ground-breaking science to help lead the way in mass spectrometry screening.

“Our collaboration with Medicines Discovery Catapult will not only enable us to engage with the wider scientific community, but will also allow us to unlock the potential of Acoustic Mass Spectrometry within drug discovery.”