Waters Recognizes the Dr. Ganesh Anand Laboratory at the National University of Singapore as Center of Innovation

Solving Life Science Mysteries with the Help of Hydrogen/Deuterium (H/D) Exchange and Structural Mass Spectrometry

News provided by

Oct 24, 2011, 03:00 ET

MILFORD, Mass. and SINGAPORE, Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) today welcomed Dr. Ganesh Anand's laboratory at the National University of Singapore (NUS) into its Centers of Innovation Program, making it the first such Center in Asia. With this designation, Waters honors Assistant Professor Ganesh Anand and his colleagues at the Department of Biological Sciences at NUS for research into protein-protein, protein-ligand, and protein-nucleic acid interactions.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110707/NE31586LOGO)

"As a young scientist, and someone who very early on could see the enormous potential of amide H/D exchange mass spectrometry, Dr. Anand's expert knowledge of the technology and how to apply it is truly innovative," said Tim Riley, PhD, Vice President of Strategic Innovation, Waters Division and Program Director of Waters® Centers of Innovation Program. "His ability to grasp the complexities of science and apply leading-edge technologies makes him a stand-out in the field of life science. It gives me great pleasure to recognize Dr. Anand and support his laboratory's ongoing research through our Centers of Innovation Program."

Dr. Anand is one of very few young experts in the field of amide H/D exchange mass spectrometry (MS) and has been working in the field since 1999, first as a graduate student, then as a postdoctoral fellow and subsequently as Assistant Professor at NUS. He has authored numerous research publications on this topic.

"When I first established the structural mass spectrometry laboratory at NUS, we were carrying out experiments in this field at a much slower pace," Dr. Anand explained, adding that "Waters is currently the only provider of a comprehensive structural mass spectrometry platform that combines the orthogonal approaches of ion mobility mass spectrometry with amide H/D exchange. Their cutting-edge technology has immensely improved the experimental throughput and workflow. Experiments that once took weeks to do can now be completed in a day or less. This has enabled us to expand the potential applications of this technology."

As a structural biologist, Dr. Anand uses Waters Synapt® High Definition Mass Spectrometry™ (HDMS™) System coupled with H/D exchange MS and UltraPerformance LC® (UPLC®) to conduct shape morphology experiments on individual proteins, something X-ray crystallography cannot do. These analytical tools also help his laboratory unravel the mysteries surrounding protein-nucleic acid interactions, intrinsically disordered proteins and the development of small molecule inhibitors for drug discovery.

"I am grateful for Waters investments in engineering and innovation so scientists like myself can focus on answering the big scientific questions without limitations. I like the academic approach taken by their scientists. They take the time to really understand scientific problems and how to address them," said Dr. Anand.

He continued, "Being chosen as a Center of Innovation is a real honor and very humbling. Waters and its structural MS tools have had a huge impact on structural biology. When I got interested in H/D exchange more than a decade ago, there were fewer than 100 others with a similar interest, worldwide. The growth of this field would not have been possible without Waters involvement and their technology development. This technology has enormous potential for the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries in Singapore and establishes NUS as a unique center in the region providing NUS students and senior scientists alike, access to state-of-the-art technology for a wide range of applications."

About Waters Centers of Innovation Program

Waters Centers of Innovation Program recognizes and supports the efforts of scientists facilitating breakthroughs in health and life science research, food safety, environmental protection, sports medicine and many other areas.

Dr. Anand is one of thirteen researchers recognized as a Waters Center of Innovation. Others include Prof. Jeremy Nicholson, Imperial College London; Prof. John Engen, Northeastern University, Boston, Mass.; Prof. James Scrivens, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Prof. David Cowan of Kings College London; Prof. Arthur Moseley of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Prof. Julie Leary of the University of California – Davis; and Prof. Albert J. Fornace, Jr., Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, D.C.; Prof. Marcos Eberlin, University of Campinas, Brazil; Joseph Dalluge, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota; Dr. Chang Hsu, Future Fuels Institute, Tallahassee, Florida; Dr. Konstantinos Petritis, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona; and Prof. Vladimir Shulaev, University of North Texas Department of Biological Sciences, Denton, Texas.

These leading scientists, in partnership with Waters, are using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to take research down new paths and help unlock the mysteries of science.

About Waters Corporation (www.waters.com)

For over 50 years, Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) has created business advantages for laboratory-dependent organizations by delivering practical and sustainable innovation to enable significant advancements in such areas as healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality worldwide.

Pioneering a connected portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis, Waters technology breakthroughs and laboratory solutions provide an enduring platform for customer success.

With revenue of $1.64 billion in 2010 and 5,400 employees, Waters is driving scientific discovery and operational excellence for customers worldwide.

About National University of Singapore (NUS)

A leading global university centred in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore's flagship university which offers a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.

NUS has 16 faculties and schools across three campuses. Its transformative education includes a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment. Over 36,000 students from 100 countries enrich the community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives.

NUS has three Research Centres of Excellence (RCE) and 21 university-level research institutes and centres. It is also a partner in Singapore's 5th RCE. NUS shares a close affiliation with 16 national-level research institutes and centres. Research activities are strategic and robust, and NUS is well-known for its research strengths in engineering, life sciences and biomedicine, social sciences and natural sciences. It also strives to create a supportive and innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within its community.

For more information, please visit www.nus.edu.sg.

Waters, ACQUITY, ACQUITY UPLC, UltraPerformance LC, UPLC, Synapt, HDMS, and High Definition Mass Spectrometry are trademarks of Waters Corporation.

SOURCE Waters Corporation