TTP Labtech technology aids groundbreaking drug discovery

TTP Labtech has announced that one of its lab technology innovations has been used by Heptares Therapeutics on pioneering new research into therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders.

The company's mosquito liquid handling technology, a lipidic cubic phase crystallography innovation, has been used to produce the first high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 transmembrane domain.

Also known as mGlu5, this substance is a member of the GPCR family of proteins and plays a key role in neuronal signalling, making it an important drug target for modulating cell function and influencing neuropsychiatric disorders.

Heptares' scientists were able to take advantage of the strong performance and reliability of the device to make this breakthrough. TTP and Heptares have been working in close collaboration on this project since 2010.

Joby Jenkins, global director of automation at TTP Labtech, said: "The huge success of Heptares in determining groundbreaking GPCR structures has resulted in increased productivity and the need for additional mosquito LCP instruments."

During 2013, the company saw a strong 43 percent revenue increase, thanks to the strong performance of its cell imaging, liquid handling and sample management businesses.