Launch of Edman Sequencers in Europe

Shimadzu introduces both PPSQ 30A and 33A Edman Sequencer models to the European market. The company has included Edman sequencers in its product program for more than 20 years and, having installed several hundred instruments in Asia, is highly experienced in this product segment.

Edman degradation has been developed by Pehr Edman and is a longstanding established method whereby an amino acid is sequentially cleaved from the N-terminus of a protein, derivatized and separated via HPLC to determine its retention time. By comparing the retention times with those of standard amino acids, the N-terminal sequence can be determined.

Although in recent years various mass spectrometric methods have replaced the technique for the identification of proteins, it is still very useful. More and more protein-based drugs are being developed, and particularly in these cases it is necessary to accurately determine the N-terminus for quality control.