Domainex to collaborate with Sigma-Aldrich in epigenetics proteins

Drug discovery services specialist Domainex Ltd., is to collaborate with Sigma-Aldrich in the development of tools, including biochemical assays and monoclonal antibodies, for the study of epigenetic proteins involved in the control of DNA expression. The work will be backed by funding from the UK Technology Strategy Board.

Under the collaboration, Domainex will use its proprietary Combinatorial Domain Hunting technology, which enables researchers to clone and express proteins, to produce soluble domains of a number of proteins that have key roles in epigenetics.

Domainex will use those proteins to construct biochemical assays for the target enzymes, and Sigma-Aldrich will use the proteins as antigens to raise specific monoclonal antibodies. The assays and monoclonal antibodies, which will be distributed by Sigma-Aldrich, will be used by researchers to identify the target proteins and allow their function to be characterised and studied in detail.

Eddy Littler, CEO of Domainex, said, “The Domainex research pipeline contains several projects aimed at proteins that are involved in epigenetics and cancer. With the support of the Technology Strategy Board we will be able to develop useful biochemical assays for these targets [...] It is very rewarding to be able to make a contribution to the study of proteins involved in epigenetics and disease.”