Nicoya Launches FastHDX to Study Fast Changing Proteins

In this article, you’ll discover:

• How a new protein tool catches fast movements in a single millisecond.
• Why studying these hidden steps helps researchers fight serious sickness like cancer and diabetes.
• How the system uses a tiny sample size to save precious materials.
• The simple way it fits into standard labs without needing new workflows.

Have you ever tried to take a picture of a fast car, only to get a blur? Scientists face a similar problem when looking at proteins inside us. These tiny building blocks can change their shape very fast. Standard tools often miss these quick changes. Today, Nicoya Lifesciences released a new platform called FastHDX to fix this issue.

“FastHDX is the culmination of nearly a decade of development by the Applied Photophysics team, shaped by deep external expertise and years of iteration with early alpha users,” shared Ryan Denomme, the CEO of Nicoya Lifesciences. He pointed out that while this method existed in special schools, FastHDX is the first version built to be tough, automatic, and ready for real labs.

Jonathan J. Phillips from the University of Exeter also shared his experience. “FastHDX enabled us to capture millisecond-resolved exchange behaviour and quantify low-stability structural dynamics that are inaccessible with established HDX-MS approaches,” he explained. He noted that seeing these fast changes helps us connect protein movements to real results in completely new ways.

Seeing the Hidden Steps

Many older tools only look at proteins that sit completely still. However, many targets for treating sickness are found in proteins that lack a fixed structure. These changing parts play a major role in serious issues like cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.

FastHDX solves this by taking a very fast look at the proteins. It can measure changes in just one millisecond. This gives researchers a direct look at how these short-lived states work.

Doing More with Less

This new platform is also great at saving precious supplies. It only needs a very small sample size to do its job. This is extremely helpful when scientists have a very limited amount of a rare target.

On top of that, it runs tests on its own. A lab worker can set up multiple tests, and with extra robotic parts, it can handle up to 192 samples without any human help.

Simple to Set Up

A great feature of FastHDX is how it fits right into current setups. Scientists do not have to buy entirely new lab systems or learn totally new workflows. It connects smoothly with the standard equipment that labs already use to study mass. By making this complex work simpler and faster, Nicoya Lifesciences is helping teams discover new medicines easier than ever before.