TOKYO -- Rigaku Corporation, a Rigaku Holdings Group company that serves as a global solution partner for X-ray analytical equipment (headquarters: Akishima, Tokyo; CEO: Jun Kawakami; “Rigaku”), opened Rigaku BioScience Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

Rigaku has begun operation of MoleQlyze at the Rigaku BioScience Lab. MoleQlyze incorporates a technology, developed by Rigaku, called electron density topography (EDT), which elucidates the structure and dynamic characteristics of biological macromolecules, including antibodies, protein complexes, and virus particles, in solution. Rigaku has begun accepting inquiries for technology demonstrations and analysis under contract.

Cambridge, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of bioscience-related organizations, including numerous biomedical corporations and academic institutions. By opening the Rigaku BioScience Lab in Cambridge, Rigaku is enabling a tighter feedback loop with existing and potential customers.

Rigaku expects MoleQlyze to be employed at facilities that perform research and development of biopharmaceuticals such as monoclonal antibody-based therapies and advanced drug delivery systems. Rigaku further expects that these applications of MoleQlyze will serve to deepen understanding of the functions of biological macromolecules.

Jun Kawakami, President and CEO of Rigaku, commented,
“I am delighted that Rigaku was able to make MoleQlyze available in a form that customers can readily use. Cambridge is home to numerous pharmaceutical companies and other global developers of biomedical products. With Rigaku BioScience Lab situated within walking distance of this community of innovators, Rigaku looks forward to spurring exciting innovation in biomedical product development.”

Hiroyuki Kanda, Life Science Global Product Leader remarks,
“MoleQlyze enables protein molecules to be observed in solution. With current conventional methods, determining the molecular structures of unknown substances required capturing samples in crystalline form, yet many biomedical products cannot be crystallized. MoleQlyze overcomes this obstacle. As the use of MoleQlyze becomes more widespread, the visualization of the structures of molecules in solution will grow increasingly common. Moreover, MoleQlyze is highly compatible with customers’ existing pipelines for functional analysis, making MoleQlyze a good fit for the workflow of customers involved in the development of biomedical products.”

Rigaku will continue to actively expand its operations in life science, establishing a robust presence in the field, working with customers to achieve game-changing innovation.

Location of Rigaku BioScience Lab: SmartLabs, 21 Erie St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA