Biopharma teams need faster ways to understand protein stability, unfolding, and aggregation, early across many conditions and formulations, without relying on labels or destructive tests. In this case study presented at IFPAC 2026, Timegate demonstrated how Microplate HTS imaging combined with Timegated® Raman can provide molecular-level insight at high throughput.
Traditional workflows for detecting early protein instability often require time-consuming assays, labels/dyes, and single-condition measurements that can miss subtle trends. Early-stage structural changes can be minor and difficult to interpret from a single spectrum so replicates and statistical robustness are essential when screening many conditions.
Timegate’s Microplate HTS System enables parallel and automated screening with Timegated® Raman measurements that reject fluorescence and can be performed even in ambient light. The approach provides direct molecular insight without labels, supports complex biological matrices, and works with small sample volumes (typically 20–50 μL per well) while keeping Raman fingerprints comparable across wells and conditions.
The IFPAC case study focused on mapping pH-induced conformational changes in albumin, using Raman spectral markers (e.g., Amide regions and aromatic side-chain markers) to detect unfolding and aggregation-associated structural shifts.
“Our objective is to bring a new perspective into high-throughput biopharmaceutical workflows using Microplate HTS imaging.”
— Mari Tenhunen, Timegate Instruments Oy
In the albumin stress case study, the HTS well-plate format enabled multiple replicates per condition, improving confidence in detecting trends that would be hard to interpret from single measurements. The study demonstrated that:
Applications highlighted include stress testing, formulation screening, and early stability assessment; without dyes, labels, or destructive assays.