On June 5th, the 2018 AUC Analysis Supercentrifugation Application Technology Forum, hosted by Beckman Coulter, was successfully held at the Shanghai Boya Hotel. As a classic Nobel Prize level technology, the analysis of ultracentrifugation technology has created a legendary era in the research of biomolecules in the first half of the last century since its inception. To this day, whether it is the identification of protein conformational homogeneity in scientific research, the determination of multi site interactions between two or more proteins, the development of monoclonal antibody drug formulations and CAR-T virus vector quality control in biomedicine, or the invention and launch of VLP vaccines such as HPV and HEV, all rely on the analysis of AUC analysis and ultracentrifugation technology. AUC has gradually become a standard companion for scientific research and production quality control.

The theme of this conference is "AUC from Scientific Research to Protein Drug Detection Application". Several experts in AUC application technology from home and abroad have been invited to give presentations, including Professor Li Shaowei, academic leader in structural immunology at the Infectious Disease Diagnostic Reagent and Vaccine Engineering Technology Research Center/Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnosis, Professor Li from the School of Life Sciences at Xiamen University, Dr. Li Wenqi, director of the Protein Research Technology Center and Protein Preparation and Identification Platform at Tsinghua University, Dr. Pan Lifeng, researcher at the Key Laboratory of Life Organic Chemistry at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Dr. Ye Xiaodong, associate professor at the Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, as well as Professor Susumu Uchiyama, AUC application expert from Osaka University in Japan and Asia, and Beckman Coulter, AUC technology application scientist. Dr. Chad Schwartz, also responsible for AUC project development. The seminar attracted over 50 AUC users and technology enthusiasts from all over the country to participate in this academic feast.

A guest speaker, Professor Li Wenqi from Tsinghua University, introduced his and his team's current research focus on the drought resistance regulation mechanism of plants. As a plant hormone, abscisic acid plays an important role in regulating drought resistance in plant cells. In his research process, the molecular weight and sedimentation coefficient of the abscisic acid receptor protein were detected using analytical exfoliation technology, and the structure and aggregation of the protein were analyzed, revealing the mechanism of abscisic acid's drought resistance in plant cells. Afterwards, he also shared with everyone the experience of AUC technology in the study of protein structure and function.

The second guest speaker is Professor Ye Xiaodong from the University of Science and Technology of China. Professor Ye first introduced the history and principles of AUC technology, and then introduced the research on the conformation of DNA molecules using analytical exfoliation technology. By detecting the sedimentation coefficient and molecular weight changes of DNA molecules, the conformation and aggregation state of DNA molecules can be determined to be affected by conditions such as solution pH and ion concentration. Teacher Ye's report provides new ideas for teachers who are interested in the study of nucleic acid structure and function.

Dr. Pan Lifeng from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, popularized various research methods in structural biology and emphasized the application of two detection methods for AUC, namely sedimentation rate and sedimentation equilibrium, in detecting protein uniformity and aggregation state. He also shared his summarized experience with everyone. Dr. Pan, who has many years of experience in using AUC, emphasized that,AUC is a powerful tool in current structural biology research!

After the tea break, Professor Li Shaowei from Xiamen University, a scholar specializing in HPV and hepatitis vaccine research in China, presented the application of AUC in the development of virus like particle vaccines. Its applications include three aspects: monitoring the packaging mechanism of virus like particle vaccines and characterizing virus structures. AUC can be used for sample quality monitoring before cryo electron microscopy to ensure the quality of cryo electron microscopy results; AUC is used for accurate localization of antigen epitopes and to determine antigen antibody binding by measuring molecular weight; The use of AUC sedimentation rate detection method to analyze the sedimentation rate of samples can be used to analyze the gene mutation of antibodies, and the detection of molecular weight can also be used to analyze the self polymerization of antibodies; AUC is the core technology for vaccine characterization, applied to monitor the consistency of vaccine mass production. Professor Li's report has significant guiding significance for both researchers conducting vaccine research and biopharmaceutical workers involved in vaccine production.

Next, Professor Susumu Uchiyama from Osaka University in Japan introduced the application of AUC in the development of biopharmaceuticals. He stated that years of research have demonstrated that AUC is an effective method for analyzing intermolecular interactions. He revealed the limitations of molecular sieves and the necessity of using AUC technology in the development of biopharmaceuticals by comparing the differences between AUC technology and molecular sieves,The advantages of AUC technology are particularly prominent in the research and development, production, and quality control of high-quality biopharmaceuticals.As an expert in the application of ultracentrifugation technology in Asia, Professor Susumu Uchiyama has written years of experience and methods in using AUC into his book "Analytical Supercentrifugation", hoping to provide more help and inspiration for AUC users and their application technology enthusiasts through this book.

Beckman Coulter is a supplier of analytical ultracentrifugation products for Wei Yi, with expertise in AUC technology. As the main person in charge of AUC products, Dr. Chad Schwartz, an application scientist and AUC R&D project at Beckman Coulter, introduced the current distribution and application coverage of AUC instruments in the world. He compared the differences between the new Optima AUC model and the old ProteomeLab XL-I model in various aspects. The new AUC model has achieved improvements, optimizations, and upgrades in detection sensitivity, detection efficiency, structural design, and software analysis. Meanwhile, he also emphasized the application of AUC in virus vector characterization for disease gene therapy. Dr. Schwartz's report provided attending teachers with a more comprehensive understanding of AUC products and their application technologies.

The entire afternoon's meeting report left everyone wanting more and only regretting how time passed by so quickly. This exchange forum provides a valuable platform for domestic researchers and drug developers to gain a deeper understanding of AUC technology and related applications, and also contributes to the development of structural biology and biopharmaceutical research in China. Thank you to all the speakers and the attending teachers who came from afar. Looking forward to the next AUC technology exchange event, let's meet again!

AUC is only used for scientific research and not for clinical diagnosis.