| Protagen AG, a leading provider of products, services and software solutions for protein research, has entered into an international collaboration to develop antibodies against liver proteins. Protagen announced its partnership with the Centre for Applied Proteomics (ZAP), Dortmund, Schunde Kangdi Antibody Biotech, Foshan, China and the Beijing Proteome Research Centre (Beijing PRC) today at the interna?tional symposium on High Performance Proteomics in Dortmund. The involvement of Protagen in the collaboration will be to develop tailor-made protein biochips that can be used to analyze quantitative antibody binding profiles, as well as any off-target activities of antibody candidates. UNIchip? products of Protagen are versatile research tools that enable faster antibody development by rapidly identifying the most specific antibody candidates at an early stage of development. ZAP will use UNIchip? to assess around 200 monoclonal antibodies, generated by Schunde Kangdi Antibody Biotech and Beijing PRC. The results will be used to identify those antibodies that are most promising for future develop?ment as research tools or therapeutics or for use in diagnostic kits. The industrial partners are sharing the worldwide commercialization rights for the antibodies analyzed. Professor Helmut E. Meyer, Head of the Human Brain Proteome Project and Director of ZAP and Professor Fuchu He, Head of the Human Liver Proteome Project and president of the Beijing PRC, will share the scientific leadership on the project. The two institutes have already worked together for a number of years within the framework of the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO). Christoph Hüls, CEO of Protagen said: "As far as I am aware, this is the first collaboration in the area of antibody development between Germany and China where research institutes and biotech companies from both countries are equally involved. This project exemplifies the ever increasing importance of international cooperation in biotechnology to help speed up the delivery of innovative products to the market. The fact that our UNIchip? products are being used to aid antibody development in China, demonstrates both our international reach and the benefits that our products can bring to the drug discovery and development process." Professor Meyer said: "As the proteome is so much more complex than the genome, it is more costly to research. It is therefore useful to work with a number of partners to draw on a wide range of experience and pool resources. We are looking forward to working with Protagen and tapping into the company's exten?sive experience in protein research to help us achieve our goals." | 
