First, introduce yourself and SCIEX. More specifically, could you share with us a little about your life sciences journey and what inspired you to join SCIEX?
My name is José Castro-Perez and I am vice president of product management at SCIEX. I received my BA in Chemistry from King’s College London (UK) and then received a Master of Science in Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Surrey (UK).
Further postgraduate studies were completed by obtaining a Ph.D. (Dynamic System-Wide Mass Spectrometry based Metabolomics Approach for a New Era in Drug Research) at Leiden University (Netherlands).
My career has evolved around LC/MS-MS with over 25 years of experience in Bioanalysis. During the early years of my career, I worked at the Huntingdon Life Sciences Contract Research Organization (UK) as a Senior LC/MS-MS Researcher at DMPK Bioanalysis where I managed the analysis of Phase II and III clinical trial samples in the laboratory using LC /MS-MS .
Following my tenure at Huntingdon Life Sciences, I held various bioanalytics leadership positions at Merck, Waters Corporation, and Agios Pharmaceuticals supporting Target ID/Validation, DMPK, Biomarker Discovery/Development, and Translational Clinical Research.
SCIEX is launching the Echo® MS+ System at SLAS 2024. The Echo® MS+ System is a product that uses proprietary mass spectrometry technology and offers an expanded panel of powerful screening workflows. Can you tell us more about the system and explain how Acoustic Ejection Mass Spectrometry (AEMS) differentiates this system from other high-throughput screening solutions?
The AEMS system consists of acoustic launch technology combined with mass spectrometry. We offer our sensitive and robust Triple Quad 6500+ system and, more recently, our flagship precision high-resolution mass spectrometer, the ZenoTOF 7600 system.
One of the biggest advantages of AEMS and intact sample extrusion is that there is no carryover, it uses a very small amount of sample in the nanoliter range, and it is fast, very fast! The system sampling rate is up to 1 sample per second. Combined with mass spectrometry, it is the best solution for HTS.
In terms of how it differentiates itself from other HTS solutions, it can be categorized by four key features:
a) high data quality as it minimizes sample handling and transport;
b) Accuracy of results using either nominal mass or high resolution mass spectrometry, the high specificity of results and the consistency of AEMS and open port interface allowing greater confidence in results and reducing the need for sample reruns.
c) speed of analysis, allowing reduced time to go from sample analysis to results, thus enabling faster decision-making.
d) the ability of a mass spectrometer to allow direct label-free measurement and
e) versatility.
The addition of the ZenoTOF 7600 system has greatly expanded the number of possible applications, particularly for large molecule workflows where high-resolution mass spectrometry plays an important role, but also extends to medicinal chemistry where elemental composition or isotopic distribution information is essential. will leverage the power of the ZenoTOF 7600 s system and accurate mass measurement with high-resolution mass spectral resolution.
Image credit: SCIEX
The Echo® MS+ system is cited as a solution that addresses unmet analytical needs. Could you identify some of these needs and how the system addresses them?
Simply put, customer needs have changed over the years at HTS, there is a desire for a system to be able to do multiple workflows and be easy to switch between.
For example, any HTS lab can conduct medicinal chemistry testing, HT-ADME, compound management, etc. But there may be a new analysis required in the same system, such as covalent bonding, which means our customers can maximize return on investment and reduce total cost of ownership.
It has unique flexibility for multiple workflows with excellent data quality, accuracy and speed.
Speed in analysis and decision-making is critical to drug discovery. How does the Echo® MS+ system specifically accelerate visit recognition and customer optimization? Do you think the Echo® MS+ system could play a role in reducing the time and costs associated with bringing new drugs to market?
In life, time is something we don’t have, and in drug discovery time and quality of results are of the essence. The Echo® MS+ system enables true multiplexing of analytical and bioanalytical workflows at speeds never before achieved when combined with mass spectrometry using a label-free approach.
That said, we have optimized the system with great operational robustness which means less downtime and more samples analyzed per unit time. In addition, the flexibility of the method and the quality of the results are also crucial in reducing the time and costs associated with bringing new new treatments to market, as high-quality data not only enable better decisions to be made, but also ensure that the new chemical entities that would have been examined there is confidence in these decisions.
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Collaboration with customers is emphasized as a key part of the further development of the Echo® MS+ system. What does this partnership look like in practice and how can customers get involved?
We highly value our customer interactions as we not only learn from their challenges, but work hard to innovate to meet critical needs where it matters most and that is to try to help bring new therapies to market.
In May 2023, SCIEX invested in a Center of Excellence (COE) in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA to conduct demonstrations as well as support our customers whether they are posting sales or working on unique workflows that will help our customers. It is through our COE that we manage our customer interactions and manage our partnerships.
What unique challenges did you face developing the Echo® MS+ system and how did your team overcome them?
We have already gained a lot of experience from the launch of our first Echo® MS system, but also through supporting and working with the early adopters of this technology. We put all this knowledge into action for the Echo® MS+ system.
One of the challenges we had to overcome was the complexity of the customer problems we had, for example different sample conditions for large molecule analysis. We worked with customers prior to product launch to help them meet their needs and as a result learned more about the best analytical conditions to suit a wide variety of workflows.
Because of the system’s resolution speed we were able to quickly run a battery of experimental designs and arrive at countermeasures in a rapid manner.
How does SCIEX foster a culture of innovation, especially when it comes to developing cutting-edge technologies like the Echo® MS+ system?
In addition to being very present at scientific meetings and driving new science through peer-reviewed publications. We highly value customer interactions, we learn a lot from talking to our customers as they are the ultimate users of our technology.
In your experience, what factors contribute to successful product launches in the life sciences industry?
Engage with customers earlier in the technology development process and review and adjust based on their feedback.
Focus on core features that will solve BIG problems and most importantly obsess over customer success and sustainability.
Finally, beyond the Echo® MS+ system, what other innovations or trends do you see on the horizon for SCIEX and the field of mass spectrometry?
We strive to continue to provide workflow ecosystems not only for quantitative applications but also for qualitative mass spectrometry.
Another important aspect to this is ensuring that we build connectivity between our mass spectrometers by leveraging SCIEX OS software and third party application that allows more intelligence to be built into the operation and results processing for a better user experience and overall system reliability.
Where can readers find more information?
About Jose Castro-Perez
As Vice President, Product Management, Jose is responsible for overall ownership of SCIEX’s global product portfolio for CE, LC/MS, software ecosystems and accessories, including product line management, technology roadmap, new product development and revenue growth /margin through value creation and commercial support.
Jose has 25 years of customer experience in the Pharma, CRO and Biotech industry. Additionally, he held several senior roles at Waters focusing on marketing and business development for all product and service offerings.
Jose joined SCIEX in 2019 as Senior Director of Accurate Mass Product Management, overseeing the entire Accurate Mass product portfolio. During his tenure he was responsible for the strategy of the Accurate Mass product line and the execution of that strategy from conception to end of life. In addition, he also held a leadership role in Market Development, where he was responsible for developing the inbound and outbound marketing strategy for the entire SCIEX product portfolio.
José holds a BA in Chemistry from King’s College London, an MSc in Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Surrey in the UK and a Ph.D. in Metabolomics from Leiden University in the Netherlands.
