ISB is an Italian company founded in 2006 that develops ionization sources for mass spectrometry to simplify its use. It has patented two sources - SACI and USIS - that increase sensitivity and reduce matrix effects. ISB provides customized assay development, analytical services, and kits using its sources from its laboratories located in the Insubrias BioPark. The company aims to make mass spectrometry easy to use for clinical analysis.

1. ISB - Ion Source & Biotechnologies
"We semplify mass spectrometry world"
Simone Cristoni, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO
Cell: +39-340-963-9745
Email: simone.cristoni@isbiolab.com
ISB-Headquarters & Laboratories: Insubrias BioBiopark, Via Roberto Lepetit 34
Gerenzano (VA) – Italy. Tel. 02/96474438; Fax 02/700410252.

2. Company Overview
Founded on September 5th, 2006
ISB Core Business
Development and Engineering of new Ionization Sources for
Mass Spectrometry
3 Italian government grants have financed ISB start-up
and its initial growth

3. Core Business
SERVICES APPLICATIONS (kits) IONIZATION SOURCES
ISB offers an extensive ISB has developed a ISB has patented two
array of services, ranging series of standardized innovative ionization
from development of analytical methods that sources for mass
customized analytical can be directly used in spectrometry allowing for
methods, to the analysis our laboratory or a considerable reduction
of specific proteins and transferred to the of analysis times and
biomolecules. customer. costs.

4. Multidisciplinary Scientific Team
• Lorenzo Zingaro - Chemist;
• Vincenza Valveri - Biologist;
• Cristina Canton - Pharmacologist;
• Vincenza Flora Dibari - Bioinformatics;
ISB experienced and multidisciplinary technical team is
complemented by a talented group of PhD and
undergraduate students recruited through collaborations with
the University of Milan.

5. Strategic Location
Insubrias BioPark
is one of the eight technological parks and bio-incubators of the Italian
biotechnology sector. It is located in Gerenzano, Varese. The BioPark
covers an area of 52,000sm; 15,000sm of which include office space
and laboratories, equipped with the most advanced technologies in the
bio-medical sector.
The BioPark is located in a beautiful green area in a geographical and economical
strategic position aiming at creating an effective network of partners in the territory. It was
created by the cooperation of Italian and Swiss entrepreneurship found in the historical
area called Insubriac Region, shared by Lombardia, Piemonte and Cantone Ticino.

6. Regio Insubria and Insubrias BioPark
A "Euroregion”,
complying with the
Madrid Agreement by
the Council of Europe
which since 1995
promotes cross-
boundary cooperation in
the Italian-Swiss region
of the three pre-Alpine
lakes regions including
Lake Como, Lake
Lugano and Lake
Maggiore.
Insubrias BioPark

7. Mission
• Make mass spectrometry easy: Produce highly
innovative and ready to use kits for clinical analysis
based on proprietary Ionization Sources for mass
spectrometry.
• Assay Development Program: develop a custom
tailored research and development program using a
strong in-house technological expertise.
• Services Program: provide state-of-the-art services to
our customers based on innovative proprietary
technologies.

8. Why ionization source
Ionization source is a key component of mass
spectrometry influencing the following key factors:
• Sensitivity: it is a function of ionization efficiency and
chemical noise produced by ion charged solvent
clusters.
• Quantitative Accuracy: Matrix effect dependent.
• Throughput: a source that exhibits high sensitivity and
low matrix effect can in principle increase the
throughput.

9. Company structure

10. ISB ionization sources portfolio
• Surface Activated Chemical Ionization (SACI; Cristoni
S. et al. Mass Spectrom Rev. 2007 Sep-Oct;26(5):645-
56);
• Universal Soft Ionization Source (USIS; Cristoni S.
International Patent n. WO/2007/131682);

11. Mass analyzers
• HCT ultra Ion Trap (Bruker Daltonics);
• ORBITRAP high resolution mass spectrometry
(Thermoelecton);

12. Surface Activated Chemical Ionization
(SACI)
Cristoni et al. Mass Spectrom Rev. 2007 Sep-Oct;26(5):645-
56.

13. SACI
Benefits
• Increased sensitivity operating in full scan (chemical
noise reduction).
• Lower matrix effect.
• Operates in ion exchange chromatographic conditions.

14. SACI
Chemical noise reduction
Figure 1 – Analysis of Cocaine and Morphine, HCT & APCI
Signal Intensity
Retention time (minutes)
Figure 2 – Analysis of Cocaine and Morphine, HCT & SACI
Cocaine
Morphine
Signal Intensity
Retention time (minutes)

15. SACI
Limitations
• Compound dependent (It is particularly suitable for
peptide and protein analysis).
• Not very effective for Biomarker Discovery.

16. Universal Soft Ionization Source
(USIS)
Reference patent

17. USIS
Benefits
• Increased sensitivity operating in full scan (chemical
noise reduction).
• Lower matrix effect.
• Operates in ion exchange chromatographic conditions.
• Can ionize all kind of polar and not polar compounds.
• Ideal for full scan profiling (e.g. Bacterial
Characterization through metabolite profiling).

18. USIS
Applications
Polar Low polar

19. USIS
Limitations
• The detectable m/z ratio depends on the mass
analyzer.

20. Future development
• USIS for breath analysis.
• Deposit of other provisional patents to improuves
ionization source performances.

21. ISB
Contacts
Contact us:
Dr. Simone Cristoni
Tel: +39-02-96474438
Cel: +39-340-9639745
e-mail: simone.cristoni@isbiolab.com
Web page: http://www.isbiolab.com