Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis for Rapid Virus Titre Assessment

NanoSight announce that UK biotechnology company, Henderson Morley Plc, is using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) to quantify virus particle number for batch to batch control. Henderson Morley is developing an exciting pipeline of anti-viral drugs and vaccines and biological products to fight a wide range of diseases in humans and animals. Their lead vaccine technology platform uses PREPS and Lparticles, which are virus-like particles derived from Human Herpes Virus 1 (HHV-1). These particles have the same size as herpes viruses, but do not contain viral DNA and are therefore sterile. Conventional viral quantification relies on the infectious yield of viruses but as these particles do not replicate, an alternate quantification technique had to be found.

Previously the only way to quantify particle number relied on less accurate protein concentration measurements. The company had also used costly and time consuming electron microscopy through a local university, and although this gave good results, it was not practical for batch to batch quantification of the L and PREPS particles. Several benefits have been produced since the purchase of the NanoSight system. Henderson Morley’s Principal Scientist, Dr Chris Hartley, has been impressed with the speed and ease of use. “The reproducibility of results providing both particle size and particle counts in real time has been excellent. Also negligible on-going and running costs have meant that the NanoSight instrument is proving to be a very cost effective solution.”