Unlocking Next-Gen Capabilities in LC-MS-Based Proteomics

Fundamentally, we have created a system that is very different from traditional nano high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems. One key element of the entire platform was creating the Evotip. In the traditional nano HPLC workflow, you must desalt the sample followed by manual steps of elute, dry down and re-suspend before you can load it on the HPLC. We introduced the Evotip to get rid of these steps that are extremely difficult to automate.

Another issue with traditional nano HPLC is that the instruments must run under high pressure, which leads to a lot of wear in the system, contributing to inconsistent results. So, we designed the Evosep Eno to work under low pressure, avoid the wear and tear of the system and, therefore, achieve much better reproducibility. 

We decoupled a few key elements. Everything related to sample handling and how we form the gradient is done offline, rather than on the analytical column, as traditional systems do.

By doing this offline, we can run it under low pressure because we’re no longer pushing the gradient through a high-pressure column. That’s the key. We’ve protected this method through our intellectual property, and it gives us a lot more flexibility. Then, when it comes to delivering the gradients to the system, we use a single high-pressure pump. However, even that pump operates at a much lower pressure than what other systems typically require, while still giving us high-quality separation. It’s really remarkable.

Absolutely. Through our partnership with SCIEX, their team can now offer our instruments alongside the mass spectrometry systems they provide to biopharma and biopharmaceutical customers.

This is an exciting development because customers in this space are increasingly asking for solutions that deliver greater sensitivity and deeper insights. Traditionally, many of these labs have used high-flow LC systems. By moving to microflow LC with our technology, they can significantly boost sensitivity – revealing analytes and details they couldn’t detect before.

For customers, this means deeper, richer data and improved analytical capabilities. For us, the partnership allows our solutions to reach a broader audience, while leveraging SCIEX’s strong commercial and support organization, which understands the needs of biopharma labs and can ensure an excellent customer experience.

We’ve only had a few Evosep Eno systems out in the market so far, but the feedback has been extremely encouraging. Everyone who has tried the instrument has said that they would like to move to using it, which is a strong early sign that we’re on the right track.

Now, with the presentations happening here at the ASMS conference, we’re seeing even more interest, both from pharma companies and from academia. Researchers are excited about the opportunity to run faster and more efficient workflows.

Traditionally, LC-MS-based proteomics has been limited in throughput, which constrained what scientists could do. With Evosep Eno, they’re now thinking about running much larger batches and bigger studies. That opens entirely new possibilities for their science, and we’re excited to support that shift.

Absolutely. We’ve designed the system to be as easy to adopt as possible. First, we offer a set of standard, characterized  methods so customers don’t need to spend time optimizing chromatography or figuring out the best set-up. That’s all been taken care of.

Second, the Evotip lends itself to automation. We work with leading automation companies and provide clear application notes for setting up workflows on their platforms. This makes it easy to scale up and run large batches of samples with minimal manual effort.

It’s pretty much a walk-away process. Once your samples are loaded, the system can prep and run them with very little user intervention. For example, in about two and a half days, you can prep and analyze around 1,000 samples on an LC-MS system and obtain results. The only manual step is moving the sample box from the prep station to the instrument, which takes just a couple of minutes.

And there’s another important benefit: cost. Traditional nano-HPLC sample prep can be expensive, around $50 (USD) per sample in some cases. With our miniaturized, high-throughput approach, you can dramatically reduce that cost per sample. This makes high-throughput workflows not only practical but also cost-effective. We're seeing many customers move in that direction.

What’s really exciting this year is that people are finally starting to talk seriously about high throughput and sensitivity. I think it’s great to see LC-MS-based proteomics moving in that direction. Affinity-based approaches in proteomics have been talking about high throughput for a while but now that LC-MS is catching up, I find that really exciting.

Why? Because with LC-MS, you get unbiased insights. You’re not limited to looking for specific targets, you can discover what’s truly in your sample. That’s a big deal from a scientific perspective, but it’s also important from a cost perspective. We’re now able to drive down costs in these high-throughput workflows, which makes large-scale studies much more feasible. Seeing results where you’re identifying 7,000 to 8,000 proteins on a 500-samples-per-day method, that’s exciting. That’s where the field is heading, and it’s great to be part of it.