Thermo Fisher Scientific Announces Collaboration with Queen's University Belfast

Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, Massachusetts) announced its collaboration with the Molecular Therapeutics Research Group at the School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast to analyze peptides in amphibian venom. The facility is using the company’s LTQ Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer on a trial basis with the goal of expanding its research capabilities for complex peptide identification and de novo sequencing of peptides. The research group currently is focusing its efforts on the isolation, structural characterization, and functional evaluation of novel peptides extracted from amphibian, snake, and arthropod venoms. Research in this area has discovered potential treatment for high blood pressure and possible cures for deep vein thrombosis and heart disease.