What's New at Arbor Assays
New Distributor Announcement
August 6, 2009
Arbor Assays announces new distributor for South East Asia
Arbor Assays announces today that it has signed 3 new distributors in SE Asia. vCell Science is out new distributor in Singapore and Axon Scientific will represent us in Malaysia. We have also signed PT Genetika in Indonesia. These new distributors brings the total number of countries we have representation in to over 30. We are looking for active life science distributors in other countries to help get our quality products to the worldwide science community. Full contact details can be found in our Distributor section.
American Society for Cell Biology Exhibit Booth
December 5-9, 2009
Visit us at booth # 722 at ASCB, San Diego, December 5-9, 2009
We will have an exhibit booth at the American Society for Cell Biology for the first time. Our booth number is 722 so please stop by and visit us.
New Distributor Announcement
June 23, 2009
Arbor Assays announces new distributor for Spain and Portugal
Arbor Assays today announced the appointment of exclusive distributor for Spain and Madrid. LabNet Biotécnica S.L. has been appointed as Arbor Assays' exclusive distributor in Spain and Portugal. Full contact details can be found in our Distributor section.
New Distributors Announcement
June 15, 2009
Arbor Assays announces the addition of 3 new distributors
Arbor Assays today announced the appointment of exclusive distributors for South Africa and Turkey and an additional distributor in China. BIOCOM Biotech has been appointed as Arbor Assays' exclusive distributor in South Africa. Oksante has also been appointed as the exclusive distributor in Turkey. Biopcr has been appointed in China as an additional distributor. Full contact details can be found in our Distributor section.
Publication Announcement
May 2009 Edition of Clinical Chemistry, 55:895-903
Two Arbor Assays scientists are co-authors on a paper that has just been published in the May 2009 edition of Clinical Chemistry (Read Publication |>). The paper is entitled "New Dual Monoclonal ELISA for Measuring Plasma Osteopontin as a Biomarker Associated with Survival in Prostate Cancer: Clinical Validation and Comparison of Multiple ELISAs" by Peter H. Anborgh, Sylvia M. Wilson, Alan B. Tuck, Eric Winquist, Nancy Schmidt, Russell Hart, Shigeyuki Kon, Masahiro Maeda, Toshimitsu Uede, Larry W. Stitt, and Ann F. Chambers". Clin. Chem, 2009, 55:895-903.
Professor George Klee of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN also cited the paper in a May 2009 editorial (Read Editorial |>).
Press Release
ANN Arbor, Mich. -- (BUSINESS WIRE)February 25, 2009
January 14, 2009: Arbor Assays and University of Michigan Patent New Demethylase Assay Technology
Two scientists at Arbor Assays, LLC and Professor Ray Trievel from the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan filed a US patent application that relates to a new, novel method to detect demethylase enzyme activity. Demethylase enzymes remove methyl groups attached to DNA, proteins and toxins and have become areas of intense interest. The two known classes of demethylase enzymes use different mechanisms to demethylate their targets produce formaldehyde as the product of the reaction. Classical methods for detecting formaldehyde generation involve the use of radioactive substrates for the demethylases. The new technology allows demethylase activity to be determined by the addition of a single reagent that produces a fluorescent signal in direct proportion to the amount of formaldehyde produced. Kits based on the technology will be available by the spring of 2009.
Dr. Russell Hart, one of the founders of Arbor Assays, and a founder of Assay Designs in Ann Arbor, and of London Diagnostics in Minneapolis, said, “This method makes the detection of the activity of this important group of enzymes a simple process that can be done on multiple samples at one time using instrumentation already in place for low, medium or high throughput screening. In addition the method allows results generated in different labs around the globe to be standardized on the product of these reactions, formaldehyde. More importantly this is an excellent example of University of Michigan-life science company collaboration that yields intellectual property, life science employment and long term economic growth for Michigan.”
Professor Ray Trievel said, “Enzymatic demethylation of protein and DNA has emerged as an important pathway for regulating gene expression and other genomic processes. Several histone demethylases have been implicated in the onset and progression of various forms of cancer, underscoring the biomedical importance of these enzymes. The development of this formaldehyde detection assay will furnish a novel high-throughput method for identifying, characterizing, and optimizing inhibitors against histone demethylases and other formaldehyde-generating enzymes of pharmaceutical importance.”
About Arbor Assays, LLC
Arbor Assays LLC was founded in 2007 by three of the senior scientists from Assay Designs, Inc., two of whom were the founders of that company. Arbor Assays is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and develops novel assay kit products for the detection of important biological molecules.
Contacts
Arbor Assays Honored with MS Walk Team Award
February 2009
Arbor Assays receives Bronze Team Award for the 2008 MS Walk from the Michigan chapter of the MS Society
Arbor Assays LLC has received a Bronze Team Award from the Michigan chapter of the MS Society for its money raising activity. The 4 person company with their friends family raised over $3,000 for the event that took place on the 10th of May 2008. Arbor Assays will also take part in the 2009 Ann Arbor Walk on May 9th and friends, family, and colleagues will take part. Stay tuned for donation details!New Product Release Announcement
October 24, 2008
Arbor Assays announces the release of its DetectX™ Glutathione Fluorescent Detection Kit
Arbor Assays, LLC (www.ArborAssays.com) released its 10th kit in 2008, the Glutathione Fluorescent Detection kit, Catalog Number K006-F1. The kit uses its internally developed patented method for allowing all forms of glutathione (GSH) to be measured in the same sample and in the same well. The kit uses a fluorescent substrate, ThioStar™, developed under an exclusive collaboration with Berry and Associates. This substrate allows thiol groups to be measured rapidly and with more sensitivity than other methods. Arbor Assays’ scientists utilized the substrate to measure free glutathione first, followed by the residual oxidized glutathione, in the same sample. Other kits require separate sample preparation and measurement of these two molecules.
Dr. Russell Hart, one of the founders of Arbor Assays and a previous founder of Assay Designs in Ann Arbor and London Diagnostics in Minneapolis, said, “This kit makes the detection of one of the most important molecules protecting cells against oxidation among a variety of other biological processes, simple and cost efficient. All other kits on the market require that samples be treated via multiple processes and most are not sensitive enough to measure the level of this molecule in some biological fluids. Our new GSH kit has speed and simplicity, and requires only one well per measurement. This makes it more cost effective than any other kit available.”
About Arbor Assays, LLC
Arbor Assays LLC was founded in 2007 by three of the senior scientists from Assay Designs, Inc., two of whom were the founders of that company. Arbor Assays is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and develops novel assay kit products for the detection of important biological molecules.
Contacts
New Distributors Announcement
October 12, 2008
Arbor Assays announces the addition of 9 new distributors
Arbor Assays today announced the addition of new distributors in Korea (Dong In Biotech), Taiwan (Level Biotechnology Inc), Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg (Gentaur Molecular Products), India (Biogenuix Medsystems), as well as Denmark, Norway and Sweden (Nordic Biosite). For additional information, please visit the Distributor section.
New Product Release Announcement
September 19, 2008
Arbor Assays announces the release of its PdX™ Palladium API Fluorescent Detection Kit
Arbor Assays, LLC (www.ArborAssays.com) released its 9th kit in 2008, PdX™ Palladium API Fluorescent Detection kit, Catalog Number K007-F1. The kit is used to measure relative amounts of Palladium (Pd) present in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) preparations. The kit uses a patent-pending, exclusively licensed non-fluorescent detection molecule that, under reducing conditions, palladium cleaves to yield a brightly fluorescent product. In recent years, many new synthetic transformations have been developed that use palladium (Pd) compounds for the catalysis of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom coupling reactions. However palladium-catalyzed reactions present a problem in that the palladium can often be retained in the isolated product. Current European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products regulations limits all platinum group metal contamination to less than 5 ppm in the final product. The current methods required to measure Pd in APIs needs expensive instruments with a highly trained scientist to operate. Cross-contamination of the instrument can limit the throughput of these analyses and requires scrupulous clean up methodology. In developing methods for purification protocols for APIs, the use of current protocols is a limit on high throughput analysis of Pd levels. The new kit allows any scientist to measure Pd levels in APIs without the need for long and costly protocols.
Dr. Russell Hart, one of the founders of Arbor Assays, and a previous founder of Assay Designs in Ann Arbor and London Diagnostics in Minneapolis, said, “This kit makes the detection of one of the most difficult contaminants in APIs a simple process that can be done on multiple samples at one time without the possibility of cross contamination. In addition the kit should allow high throughput technology to be used to scavenge Pd from API preparations quickly and safely.”
About Arbor Assays, LLC
Arbor Assays LLC was founded in 2007 by three of the senior scientists from Assay Designs, Inc., two of whom were the founders of that company. Arbor Assays is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and develops novel assay kit products for the detection of important biological molecules.
Contacts
Press Release
ANN ARBOR, Mich. --(BUSINESS WIRE)February 11, 2008
Arbor Assays, LLC Announces Worldwide Exclusive License Agreement with University of Pittsburgh on Patented Palladium/Platinum Detection System
Arbor Assays, LLC announces the signing of an exclusive license agreement with the University of Pittsburgh to use their patented technology to develop and sell detection kits which contain a new fluorescent sensor to detect the rare metals palladium and platinum. The fluorescent molecule was developed in Professor Kazunori Koide’s lab at the University’s Department of Chemistry. The technology allows the end user to quantitatively detect palladium or platinum in samples simply and rapidly using the fluorescent signal generated.
Dr. Russell Hart, General Partner of Arbor Assays, said of the license, “This technology has major applications in multiple product areas allowing for the detection of these rare metals. One major application is the quantitative detection of palladium contamination in pharmaceutical products and API’s. We will develop a kit to measure the metal at the lab bench during the chemical synthetic process. In an in vitro diagnostic application, the fluorescent sensor can detect platinum containing chemotherapeutic agents, such as cisplatin, in patient serum allowing for correct therapeutic dosing. We will be evaluating a POC test for this application in the coming months. We also see applications at companies that use these 2 metals for industrial and commercial goods such as in the manufacturing of catalytic converters, jewelry and dental products.”
Dr Hart also said: “We expect to have the first product using this technology on the market by late summer of 2008. We expect significant worldwide sales of these kits in multiple industrial areas, including the pharmaceutical, chemical, manufacturing, and diagnostic arenas.”
About Arbor Assays, LLC
Arbor Assays LLC was founded in 2007 by three of the senior scientists from Assay Designs, Inc., two of whom were the founders of that company. Arbor Assays is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and develops novel assay kit products for the detection of important biological molecules.
Press Release
Dexter, MI and Ann Arbor, MI, January 8, 2008
Berry & Associates, Inc. and Arbor Assays, LLC announce Research, Supply and Marketing Agreement
Berry & Associates, Inc. and Arbor Assays, LLC announce the signing of a three-year Research, Supply and Marketing Agreement. The synthetic chemistry expertise of Berry & Associates will be partnered with the biochemical assay expertise of Arbor Assays to develop designer reagents that enable the use of luminescent detection methodologies in novel in vitro assays of biological and medical interest. Upon successful completion of R&D activities, both the designer reagents and assay kits that utilize the reagents will be produced and marketed to academic and industrial research scientists.
Dr. Russell Hart, General Partner of Arbor Assays, said of the agreement, “This is an important alliance for Michigan-based biosciences companies. It will allow the combined skills of Berry and Arbor Assays to develop, manufacture, market and sell worldwide the next generation of detection methods for biomolecules.”
Dr. William Pearson, Vice President for Research and Development at Berry, noted that, "For nearly twenty years, we have designed and manufactured specialty chemicals at our Dexter site for use in the life sciences area, forging collaborations worldwide. It is exciting to partner with another Michigan life sciences company, especially one that is focused on molecular detection technology. As an outgrowth of our work in the nucleic acids area, we have considerable experience in the design and synthesis of optical tags for biomedical assays, the perfect backdrop for a collaboration with Arbor Assays."
About Berry & Associates, Inc.
Berry & Associates, Inc., founded in 1989 and located just outside of Ann Arbor in Dexter, Michigan, is a privately held chemistry company that provides biomedical researchers with specialty nucleosides, nucleotides, and DNA/RNA synthesis monomers (phosphoramidites and solid-phase-linked reagents) as well as fluorescent markers, biotins, carbohydrates, and heterocycles. Recent innovative products include fluorous affinity products for oligonucleotide purification and BlackBerry™ Quenchers for use in fluorogenic oligonucleotide probes.
About Arbor Assays, LLC
Arbor Assays LLC was founded in 2007 by three of the senior scientists from Assay Designs, Inc, two of whom were the founders of that rapidly growing company. Arbor Assays is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and develops novel assay kit products for the detection of important biological molecules.
Ann Arbor Business News
July 26, 2007
Assay Designs founders create new company in Ann Arbor
The scientists who started one of Ann Arbor's most successful life sciences companies are starting another firm.
Assay Designs founders Russell Hart and Barbara Scheuer have joined with another scientist from the company to form Arbor Assays LLC.
“We would like to focus back on the pharmaceutical, clinical trial scientists. The move means getting closer to the clinical side rather than focusing on the new, exciting things that come out of universities.”
The new business will develop clinical biomarkers to help researchers measure the success of new pharmaceuticals. It will also provide custom development of products for other life sciences companies.
Hart and Scheuer will remain as majority common shareholders of Assay Designs and members of the company's Board of Directors.
Assay incorporated in 1992 and gradually grew from two part-timers to about 85 employees today. The company moved into a new, $18 million, 27,000-square-foot facility in Pittsfield Township in 2006.
But Hart said Assay's natural growth and expansion led to a focus that was somewhat different than what they preferred to do on a daily basis.
"Always with growth comes a certain focus that is away from what the two of us like to do," Hart said. "We have been talking with the board of directors about doing this for about nine months now."
The acquisitions of Advanced Magnetics TiterZymeTM in 1999 and Stressgen Bioreagents in 2005 expanded the company's product portfolio but shifted its product line focus toward academic researchers.
"We would like to focus back on the pharmaceutical, clinical trial scientists," Hart said. The move means "getting closer to the clinical side rather than focusing on the new, exciting things that come out of universities."
Nonetheless, Hart said the academic sector would still be represented in the Arbor Assays client base.
“ The new business will develop clinical biomarkers to help researchers measure the success of new pharmaceuticals. It will also provide custom development of products for other life sciences companies.”
"We'll sell to a whole bunch of different segments, not just pharmaceutical companies, otherwise we'd be hurting seriously right now," he said.
Arbor Assays has signed a five-year lease for space at 1514 Eisenhower Place in the Eisenhower Commerce Center in Ann Arbor. The McMullen Co. brokered the lease. Arbor Assays has an option to move to other McMullen-owned space if needed before the expiration of the agreement.
The company expects to be setting up labs by mid-August.
Wright Griffin Davis and Co. is handling accounting work for the new company, and Conlin, McKenney & Philbrick, P.C. is handling its legal work.
Hart, Scheuer and Assay Designs scientist Nancy Schmidt will jointly own the new company, although exact terms of the agreement were not available.
The company has negotiated contracts with two companies in the Ann Arbor area in addition to a pharmaceutical company in the Boston area and an academic institution. Hart said the agreements are confidential for now.
Arbor Assays expects to hire more scientists as the business expands.
But "we have an agreement with Assay Designs not to poach too many people so there is a limit to how many people we can take," Hart said.
Arbor Assays Lab Up & Running
The big news is that we are up and running a full functioning lab in record time. We took possession of the space at 1514 Eisenhower Place on Friday August 3rd, 2007. We spent the next couple of weeks adapting and adding to our makeshift lab ‘benches” and offices. Our first chairs were portable camping chairs but a quick trip to IKEA got us office desks, a conference room table, and miscellaneous other items. We employed 2 skilled carpenters to assemble our permanent benches and we had electricity installed shortly after. A sink along with a DI water set up followed rapidly (replacing the bottled DI water we had been using). Fridges and freezers were purchased to add to our line up of excess equipment we obtained from Assay Designs.
Lab work started immediately and our first product was shipped within 6 weeks of moving into the space! That must be a record.
By the end of August we had hired our first non-founder scientist, Bobbi, a fellow colleague from Assay Designs. With Bobbi’s addition we had a cumulative total of about 50 years worth of experience at Assay Designs alone!
The day after Bobbi’s start we had a party at Arbor Assays. We party well, long, and hard! Lots of food, drink and great company completed the evening.
On September 23rd we took a beautiful Sunday walk to raise over $650 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation charity event in Ann Arbor. Thanks to all our donors who we harassed constantly to donate – no, really they gave willingly and without fuss – THANKS!
Our web site is up and running. Thanks to everyone who helped, especially the people at Tadpole, who created the site. Look for more improvements over the coming weeks and months. We hope everyone likes the photos – we have the privilege of working with the Bioartography Group at the University of Michigan who gave us the right to use these wonderful microscope photos. If you visit our offices you will see framed prints of these photos on the walls of our conference room.
