Helping Quantify Biologic Stability in High-def

Earlier this month, Unchained Labs launched their lastest product ‘Hunky’. We took the opportunity to learn more about this new product and what it means for scientists developing biologics.

“With Hunky, scientists get the scoop on how stable their proteins are, whether they aggregate, and what pathway they’ll take,” said Taegen Clary, VP of Marketing at Unchained Labs. “They can stop stressing out for months, waiting to find out if they’ve made the right decisions.”

We spoke to Dina Finan, Unchained Labs Product Manager, to learn about Unchained Labs and, more specifically, Hunky, ahead of their free-to-attend webinar, on November 2.

LM: Could you tell us a little more about Unchained Labs?

Dina Finan (DF): We’re all about helping biologics researchers break free from tools that just don’t cut it. Unleashing problem-tackling products that make a huge difference in the real science they do every day. That’s our mantra, our promise and we own it. 

LM: Is there a story behind the exciting choice of names for your product range? — For those of you reading this blog that are suddenly rather confused take a look for yourselves here. They are quite something! 

DF: All of our names must have a ‘UN’ in them and can be a bit unconventional! 

LM: How can ‘Hunky’ help users quantify their protein’s stability in ‘hi-def?

DF: Hunky’s ∆G values actually let you quantify how much denatured protein you’ve got in your sample. Automated data fitting shows you up to 3 unfolding transitions and lets you see small differences in your protein’s stability – even in super tight pH or salt windows. Predict and zoom in on aggregation propensity with Agg Path and ∆Gtrend. With 4 apps to choose from, automated liquid handling and full-on data analysis, Hunky is a gotta-have for measuring protein stability. 

LM: Why is it important to quantify a protein’s stability? 

DF: Many methods for studying protein stability and aggregation are qualitative, which can cause uncertainty when moving drug candidates and formulations forward. Hunky gives you the ΔG of a protein which is a powerful and quantitative indicator of the amount of unfolded protein present in a sample at ambient temperatures.

LM: In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges in the biopharma field at present? 

DF: Most scientists working with biologics are stuck using tools that just don’t cut it for large molecules, which can be unpredictable and hard to generalize. Unchained Labs uncages the right tools for the job with products that characterize even the most unruly molecules.   

LM: You are giving a free webinar on November 2, could you offer us a sneak peek — what topics will be covered, what can attendees expect to take away for the event?

DF: During the webinar Dr. Krista Witte, VP and Product Development  will discuss the benefits of making routine ΔG measurements with Hunky as part of the process of developing biologics and optimizing formulations. Attendees will:

• See how ΔG provides more quantitative information on protein stability than other stability         measurements.
• See how ΔG can give insights into protein aggregation.
• Learn how Hunky makes it easy to implement these measurements as part of your routine         process.

If you are interested in ‘seeing stability in high-def with Hunky’ you can register for the webinar here.  

Dina Finan was speaking to Laura Mason, Science Editor for Technology Networks.