Particle Metrix, developers of versatile particle characterization solutions for the life sciences, report on how Cell Guidance Systems use the ZetaView® particle characterization system for exosome research and quality control. 

Cell Guidance Systems (CellGS) provides innovative life science research tools and services. Their goal is to identify valuable innovations from research groups around the world and develop products that address unmet needs, providing new tools that expand the possibilities of life science research. The UK facility is located on the Babraham Science Park near Cambridge. Here, CellGS is developing novel tools and technologies for exosome research. In particular, they manufacture the Exo-spin range of exosome purification kits and TRIFic assay kits and are developing additional technologies to enable exosome research. 

Exosomes are small lipid spheres around 40-150 nm in diameter that form within the cell. Exosomes contain and protect various RNA and protein cargos which are secreted into the blood and other bodily fluids. Exosomes are taken up by nearby and distant cells where their cargo can profoundly influence cellular activity. Consequently, there is interest in the potential of exosomes as vectors for gene therapy. In addition, many groups are now working on diagnostic products which can detect disease based on analysis of exosomes recovered from blood, urine, saliva and other body fluids. 

For CellGS, developing new processes in research through to tight quality control procedures for production items requires the best in instrumentation. Speaking to this challenge, CellGS CEO, Michael Jones, describes their particle characterization needs and why they chose the Particle Metrix ZetaView® system to perform research into exosomes. “The ZetaView® enables our scientists to assess the quality of our exosome technologies and perform vital QC steps during manufacture. We selected ZetaView® after a full evaluation of competitive nanoparticle characterization systems. For us, the benefits in using the ZetaView® compared to other systems are its ease of use and throughput of sample measurement.” 

The ZetaView® is a high performance integrated instrument for individual exosome particle tracking, classical micro-electrophoresis and Brownian motion. Auto-alignment and auto-focussing capabilities make the ZetaView® both fast and easy to use. A throughput of >20 samples per hour can readily be achieved. Highly resolved zeta potential and size histograms, as well as profiles, are routinely derived from thousands of particles. In addition, low concentrations of particles can be determined. The ZetaView® provides analysis certainty, leading to a better level of exosome characterization and enabling new discoveries in microvescicle and exosome research. 

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