3 – BioResolve Protein A Affinity Columns with MaxPeak Premier Technology
Protein A columns delivering earlier, more precise antibody quantification
Produced by Waters Corporation
BioResolve Protein A Affinity Columns with MaxPeak Premier Technology combine non-porous 3.5 µm particles with bioinert hardware to improve sensitivity in antibody titer quantification. These columns enable accurate measurement at lower concentrations and earlier in bioprocess development, reducing time-to-result during clone selection and process monitoring. Compatible with multi-attribute methods, they streamline workflows by supporting simultaneous titer and aggregate analysis in a single run – enabling earlier decision-making in upstream development and faster optimization in downstream processes.
What the judges say…
“A well-designed innovation – particularly valuable for 2D workflows combining affinity LC and SEC.”
“An important advancement in the quality of affinity chromatography columns.”
Insights from the Waters team
For Beatrice Muriithi, science has always been about solving problems that matter. “Since I was young, my goal has been simple,” she says. “Can I leave this planet a better place than I found it, even in the smallest way possible?”
That guiding question ultimately led her to her role as senior principal scientist at Waters Corporation, where she helped bring the BioResolve Protein A Affinity Columns from idea to impact. The innovation offers researchers up to seven times higher sensitivity and enables critical antibody data days earlier than competing methods. That means faster, clearer answers in biologics development, and potentially lifesaving therapies reaching patients sooner.
“When I was deciding what to study, I realized I was too squeamish to be the physician treating patients,” she explains. “But I wanted to help the people who deliver those treatments. As a chemist, this product gets me as close to the patient as I can be.”
That connection to real-world impact is what keeps Beatrice inspired. As biologic drugs and advanced therapies reshape medicine, scientists are under growing pressure to detect faint biological signals hidden in complex samples – what she describes as “trying to find a pin in a haystack.” The team behind the Waters BioResolve Protein A Affinity Columns wanted to make that process easier and more precise. “Our team wanted to give scientists tools that could pick out that pin every single time,” she says. “That consistency builds confidence in the data, and confidence can save lives as well as time and cost.”
The journey from concept to product was about empathy as much as engineering. “We didn’t assume we knew what customers needed,” she says. “We went out and listened to everyone from loyal Waters customers to labs that had never used our products. We even did blind interviews so people could speak honestly. They told us what frustrated them, what they wished for. That feedback shaped everything.”
One of Beatrice’s most vivid memories is the first time she saw the results. “I ran the experiment and saw a signal so sharp I thought I’d made a mistake,” she laughs. “I checked everything three times. When I realized it was real, I went to my technical advisor and said, ‘You have to see this.’ It was a moment of pure disbelief before it turned to joy.”
For Beatrice, that sense of discovery is deeply personal. “Launching a product is exciting, but what makes me happiest is actually hearing from customers who tell us it’s changed the way they work,” she says. “When a scientist tells you they can make better decisions, faster and more confidently, because of what you built – and you know that will translate to a patient getting more accurate diagnostic results, or access to a life-changing drug sooner – that’s really when you know you’ve done something meaningful.”
“We’re the car’s engine, not the driver. But without the engine, the car doesn’t move. That’s how I think of what we do at Waters.”
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