American firm Waters Corporation has announced that the University of San Agustin has established the first mass spectrometry imaging centre in the Philippines, equipping it with technologies from Waters.

The imaging centre is playing an important role in helping scientists to translate drug discoveries into viable therapeutics to treat cancer and infectious diseases.

The newly-commissioned MALDI/DESI Mass Spectrometry Imaging Laboratory within the University of San Agustin Center for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology is equipped with a Waters ACQUITY™ UPLC™ System paired with a Waters SYNAPT HDMS. The purchase of this equipment was sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development grant-in-aid programme.

The SYNAPT HDMS combines Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) and Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) technologies, capable of advanced molecular visualization in human or animal tissue samples. Together, these complementary technologies will enable University researchers to precisely determine the biodistribution, metabolism, accumulation, and evaluation of promising new drug compounds derived from natural sources.

"Our collaborative partnership with Waters has enabled the establishment of our mass spectrometry imaging laboratory, the first in the Philippines," said Dr Doralyn Dalisay, Director, Center for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, University of San Agustin.

"Prof. Dalisay and her research team are using high-end research instrumentation from Waters to establish her laboratory as a research center of excellence. This work will allow the University of San Agustin to recruit and retain talented Filipino graduates and post-docs who might otherwise emigrate to university laboratories outside the Philippines," said David Curtin, Vice President, APAC, Waters Corporation.