In a recent interview with News Medical-Life Sciences, Dr. Ruizhi Wang, Founder and CEO of Abselion, discussed the development and benefits of the Amperia platform for quantifying His-tagged proteins. Abselion, based in Cambridge, focuses on creating analytical tools that simplify biomolecule quantification for researchers.
Dr. Wang described Amperia as a compact benchtop system using electrochemical sensing to measure proteins and viral vectors quickly and reproducibly. The platform integrates chemistry, engineered sensors, and software into a single workflow designed to minimize complexity in protein analysis.
"Quantifying His-tagged proteins is a routine part of recombinant protein workflows, but obtaining reliable, comparable results across constructs and experiments can still be difficult," said Dr. Wang. He noted that traditional methods such as gels or colorimetric assays provide only relative data and can vary depending on sample preparation or expression background. More quantitative approaches often require purification or complex protocols.
To address these challenges, Abselion developed the His-tag Protein Quantification Kit. "It provides a ready-to-use assay for quantitative analysis directly from crude or clarified lysates. The workflow is straightforward and reduces both handling steps and variability between users," Dr. Wang explained.
The Amperia platform relies on redox-based electrochemical detection instead of optical measurements like ELISA or spectrophotometry, which can be affected by turbidity or background absorbance in crude lysates. According to Dr. Wang: "Amperia uses a redox-based electrochemical detection method...Because Amperia does not rely on optics or fluidics, it is less sensitive to sample interference and offers faster, more consistent measurements."
The assay employs a premix competition format where samples are mixed with labeled detection reagents before measurement. Both compete for anti-His binding sites on the sensor surface; higher concentrations of target protein lead to lower signals due to fewer available sites for the labeled reagent.
"This format eliminates the need for separate binding and washing steps, which simplifies the workflow and reduces variability," said Dr. Wang.
Abselion collaborated with GenScript to incorporate THE His Tag Monoclonal Antibody technology into Amperia’s sensor strips, ensuring consistent capture performance across various constructs and systems.
"Each strip is pre-coated under controlled manufacturing conditions. This removes the need for users to handle or optimize reagents, significantly reducing assay-to-assay variability and improving reproducibility between users and sites," Dr. Wang stated.
Amperia supports workflows ranging from early expression screening to process optimization without requiring new methods or retraining staff. The flexibility allows users to run different numbers of samples per automated run based on project needs.
Dr. Wang also mentioned growing demand for flexible tools in protein analytics: "By offering standalone sensor strip packs, we enable users to select the configuration that best fits their workflow."
Looking ahead at trends in protein quantification technologies, Dr. Wang said: "As the field evolves, I expect more integration of validated reagents, automation, and thoughtful engineering...It is about making high-quality measurement accessible, efficient, and scalable across the entire R&D pipeline."
Abselion was founded in 2018 under the name HexagonFab at the University of Cambridge with a mission to make protein research simpler through accessible technology solutions.
