On January 30, 2023, it was announced that Charles River Laboratories International - long time based in Cambrdge, MA had acquired SAMDI Tech for $50M. Located in Chicago at the University Technology Park on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, SAMDI Tech had been structured around what is described as a "different approach" to drug discovery offering a data based process whereby to make smarter go or no-go decisions with solutions from the firm's rapid, quantitative, label-free SAMDI technology. SAMDI (Self-Assembled Monolayer Desorption Ionization) technology was first described and offered as a solution to the challenges and pitfalls of label-dependent biochemical assays. Principals of the firm had determined that self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) could be analyzed by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry, a key discovery that provided the foundation for the label-free and high-throughput SAMDI assay. SAMDI Tech offers whatis described as a unique assay platform that combines mass spectrometry (MS) with high-density arrays for rapid and quantitative measurement of analytes in biochemical reactions. The firmâs approach to screening enzyme activities eliminates the caveats of labeled methodologies that include: reducing rates of false positives and negatives, shortening assay development times, and screening in a high-throughput format. Mass spectrometry is an established analytical tool in the life sciences, but has traditionally lacked the throughput required for drug discovery applications. Conventional MS protocols require a purification step prior to analysis, preventing researchers from applying this powerful technology toward high throughput screening. SAMDI combines Self-Assembled Monolayers and matrix-assisted laser Desorption Ionization time-of-flight to monitor biochemical activities in a label-free format. Use of SAMDI, eliminates the need for antibodies, fluorescent labels, or radioactivity
