Case Study: University of Virginia detects scarce proteoforms with Quantum-Si Next-Gen Protein Sequencing

University of Virginia gets second-year grad student running Quantum-Si Platinum in a few days

The customer, the University of Virginia, specifically the research team of Dr. Gloria Sheynkman, faced the challenge of detecting scarce protein isoforms, or proteoforms, which are difficult to identify with traditional mass spectrometry due to limitations in sensitivity and the inability to distinguish between proteoforms with similar properties. To advance the study of how these variations drive disease, they sought a new, complementary technology.

The vendor, Quantum-Si, provided its Platinum instrument and Next-Gen Protein Sequencing (NGPS) technology. The solution enabled single-molecule detection, allowing the team to distinguish subtle amino acid variations like leucine from isoleucine, which mass spectrometry cannot differentiate. The platform was quickly installed and operated by a graduate student with minimal training, offering a lower-cost and more accessible alternative to mass spectrometry for detecting disease-relevant proteoforms.

University of Virginia