About a year after its acquisition by the Proteintech Group, based in Rosemont, IL, the signs at ChromoTek are set for growth. The site at IZB is growing – both economically, spatially, and in terms of personnel. To stay on track for success, ChromoTek continues to look for new “ChromoBuddies” to drive innovative cutting-edge research.

Global growth
For 2021, ChromoTek can report significant growth, especially in the Asian market. The former start-up solidified its position in the global market, ending 2021 with a high double-digit growth rate. “Despite the pandemic, we were able to reach our global customers with our innovative products. We also have the international sales of Proteintech Group to thank for this,” said Dr. Marion Jung, summarizing the positive development. In addition to the nanobody-based reagent business for research institutions, ChromoTek is also a contact for individual product developments for international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

ChromoTek’s innovative antibodies
ChromoTek uses a proprietary process to produce application-optimized nanobodies that have tailored properties, e.g., with affinities in the picomolar range. The highly specific nanobodies are produced recombinantly without batch variations with consistently high quality.

Nanobody – The small and efficient brother of the conventional antibody
Like other camel-like animals, dromedaries, llamas and alpacas have two classes of antibodies. In addition to the “normal” IgG antibodies found in all mammals including humans, alpacas also possess so-called heavy chain antibodies. Their antigen binding domain is called nanobody or VHH. Compared to classical antibodies, which have light and heavy chains, nanobodies have various advantages. At around 15 kDa, they are about ten times smaller and more stable than conventional antibodies. In addition, these nanobodies bind to the antigen using a different binding mode.

ChromoTek and Proteintech cooperate across sites
ChromoTek’s success is based not only on innovative products in the field of nanobody development, but also on excellent customer service with the aim of providing each customer with technical advice for their experiment within a few hours. Through individual consulting, the products developed by ChromoTek should show the best possible performance at the customer’s site. To ensure that this service concept continues to be guaranteed for the growing global customer base, ChromoTek and Proteintech employees cooperate across locations to provide product- and application-specific support for their customers.

International logistics with nanobody-based tools and 15,000 antibodies from the Proteintech portfolio
The merger of the ChromoTek and Proteintech Group is also reflected in cross-site logistics. In order to guarantee fast worldwide shipment of reagents, shipping is carried out from different Proteintech Group sites. Since April 2021, the shipping staff in Martinsried has been supplying the European market with nanobody-based tools from ChromoTek and the Proteintech Group’s portfolio of more than 15,000 antibodies. To meet the increasing demand, the logistics site at the IZB is being further expanded. New storage facilities have already been created and staffing at the site is being continuously adapted to meet growing demand.

New tools for cutting-edge research
ChromoTek’s research and production site in Martinsried will also be significantly expanded in 2022. Significant increases in the R&D budget will enable new research paths. Teams of employees from Proteintech Group and ChromoTek are developing innovative products across sites, driving ideas and opening up new markets. “We are pleased to take these development steps with the support of Proteintech,” continues Dr. Jung, emphasizing that cross-contingent cutting-edge research is now possible for the benefit of ChromoTek`s customers.

Site expansion at the IZB
Thanks to the support of the IZB under the direction of Dr. Peter Hanns Zobel, ChromoTek was able to expand its premises in 2021. ChromoTek moved into additional laboratory and office space back in August. These now offer even more space for new colleagues, innovative ideas and new future possibilities.

More information about ChromoTek – Part of Proteintech can be found here:
www.chromotek.com
www.ptglab.com