Customer Success Story: Cardiff University – EV Research for Ocular Health
Dr Ben Mead, Senior Lecturer and Group Lead at the Exosome and Retinal Research Group at Cardiff University, is at the forefront of extracellular vesicles (EV) research and their potential in ocular repair, eye disease biomarkers, or as important signalling mediators in normal ocular health. Dr Mead and his team sought to overcome the challenges of characterising and quantifying these challenging nanoparticles for key therapeutic applications.
Identifying the Challenges
As EV’s and exosomes are small nanoparticles, conventional imaging and detection systems were insufficient to characterise and quantify the team’s purified samples. Characterisation is critical to ensure confidence in their preparations, and, quantification is necessary for precise dosing when treatments are administered in vitro or in vivo. When using existing NTA equipment from other suppliers, users often faced operational issues and lacked the necessary features for efficient data collection. The data provided was highly variable and it could be often take several hours to conduct measurements.
Discovering the Solution
The introduction to the ZetaView® TWIN came through the collaborations within the university and nearby institutes, sparking interest in its high-throughput Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) capabilities. What distinguished the ZetaView® TWIN was its integrated fluorescence capability, ease of use, and robust construction. Dr Mead emphasised the importance of equipment reliability in a busy laboratory environment, where downtime can impede progress. The ZetaView® TWIN’s durability and user- friendly interface offered peace of mind, making it an ideal choice for Cardiff University’s needs.
Key factors in favour of the ZetaView® TWIN included its consumable-free operational and suitability for users varying expertise levels. The absence of expensive reagents aligned with Dr Mead’s objective of minimising barriers to equipment utilisation within his team.
” We purchased a ZetaView® TWIN in 2023 and it has been an invaluable asset in our EV research workflow. Analytik was incredibly helpful in allowing us to demo the equipment in my lab and have provided numerous assistance in its purchase and installation. Even after the establishment of the ZetaView® TWIN here at Cardiff University, Analytik have remained available at short notice to provide assistance with queries or minor issues, all which were able to be resolved immediately. We are very grateful for their communication skills and appreciate their post-purchase support.”
Dr Ben Mead, Senior Lecturer and Group Leader for Exosome and Retinal Research Group.
Realising Results
Since integrating the ZetaView® TWIN into their research arsenal, Dr Mead’s team has experienced significant improvements in their workflow. They can now efficiently characterise and quantify EV’s from diverse cell types, including human stem cells. This enhancement in efficiency has accelerated downstream therapeutic testing in retinal disease models, contributing to the advancement of EV-based therapeutics and early disease detection. The ZetaView® TWIN has opened the potential for many other EV-related projects that would normally have been held back by the availability of accurate, reliable NTA.
Looking to the Future
With plans to continue utilising the ZetaView® TWIN’s unique capabilities, particularly regarding detecting fluorescently labelled EV’s, Dr Mead and his team aim to further their understanding of EV biology and its applications in treating untreatable eye conditions. Their work holds promises for developing innovative therapies and identifying crucial biomarkers for early disease diagnosis.
You can find out more about Dr Mead and his group’s work at: https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/meadb
