SAIC-Frederick, Inc. and Sensor Technologies Collaborating to Understand Complex
Protein Interactions in Cancer
FREDERICK, Md., May 13, 2009 — SAIC-Frederick Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) [NYSE: SAI], and Sensor Technologies
Inc. of Shrewsbury, Mass., have signed a collaboration agreement to begin integrated
studies of complex protein interactions involved in cancer and other diseases.
The
agreement is part of the National Cancer Institute’s Advanced Technology Partnerships
Initiative, which aims to further NCI’s mission by speeding the translation of research
discoveries into new treatments for cancer and AIDS. SAIC-Frederick, as prime contractor
for the National Cancer Institute at Frederick, is facilitating these partnerships
for the government.
The collaboration will involve proteomics and imaging studies
to advance the understanding of complex structural interactions and binding kinetics
of proteins in cells and in cancer disease processes.
The Optical Microscopy and
Analysis Laboratory (OMAL) and Protein Chemistry Laboratory (PCL) at SAIC-Frederick,
together with Sensor Technologies, will begin integrated studies to assess the dynamics
of fluorescence-tagged molecules utilizing Sensor Technologies’ newly launched Fluorescence
Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) platform—“QuantumXpert™.”
Studies will also include
integration with in vivo microscopy techniques in OMAL with the goal of developing
dynamic, biomolecular models that are both physical and performed by computer simulation.
Sensor has redefined FCS, creating the first portable, three-channel FCS spectrometer,
enabling studies of molecular complexing and interaction at single-molecule levels.
The QuantumXpert™ and Sensor’s revolutionary FCSXpert™ software introduce this important
single molecule technique into the laboratories of biochemistry and cell and molecular
biology in an easy-to-use format.
Applications of this technology have the potential
to provide insights that could accelerate the development of new treatments. By
integrating this enabling platform with in vivo microscopy techniques, the research
teams also seek to advance the field of computer simulation modeling in cancer research
and development.
“SAIC-Frederick is very pleased to be collaborating with the science
and technology experts at Sensor Technologies. We believe our cooperative efforts
to study and integrate leading biomolecular analysis and imaging technologies will
result in new insights and analytical approaches to tumor cell biology and function,”
said Dr. Stephen Lockett, head of OMAL at SAIC-Frederick.
“Sensor Technologies welcomes
the opportunity to bring the detection and measurement capabilities of its FCS platform
to bear on the large challenges inherent in understanding the cell biology of cancer
and AIDS,” said Dr. David E. Wolf, chief science officer for Sensor Technologies.
About SAIC-Frederick
SAIC-Frederick Inc. is the prime contractor for NCI’s research
and development center in Frederick, Md. This is a national laboratory dedicated
to rapidly translating basic research into new technologies for diagnosing, treating,
and preventing cancer and AIDS. SAIC-Frederick conducts basic research and maintains
a full suite of advanced technologies in areas such as nanotechnology, genomics
and imaging. The company operates the federal government’s only drug and vaccine
manufacturing facilities; operates the high-performance Advanced Biomedical Computing
Center; and supports more than 300 clinical trials for patients in the United States
and around the world. SAIC-Frederick is a wholly owned subsidiary of SAIC, a Fortune
500® company (NYSE: SAI).
Information about NCI’s Advanced Technology Partnerships
Initiative can be found at http://www.ncifcrf.gov/atpi/
About Sensor Technologies
Sensor Technologies Inc. is a privately-held Massachusetts corporation. Sensor’s
core expertise lies in the use of fluorescence-based approaches for detecting and
measuring with extreme precision and accuracy. Sensor developed and introduced its
fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) system, the QuantumXpert™, to bring
the powerful single-molecule measurement capabilities of FCS to a much broader scientific
marketplace. The key features of this new implementation of FCS are its accuracy,
ease of use, small size, and value proposition. Systems biology advances are placing
an increasingly higher premium upon data that illuminates binding and complexing
at the level of single molecules. Sensor’s QuantumXpert™ offers the first bench-top
fluorescence correlation spectrometer to address this scientific challenge directly.
Information about Sensor’s FCS Technology Platform can be found at
http://www.fcsxpert.com
Contacts:
Frank Blanchard
SAIC-Frederick Inc.
(301) 846-1893
blanchardf@mail.nih.gov
Jack Hayes
Sensor Technologies Inc.
(508) 842-0432
jlhayes@biosensorgroup.com