QuTEM AB has expanded its presence in the United States by partnering with the Multiscale Microscopy Core (MMC) at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to establish a new laboratory in Portland, Oregon. This collaboration marks the company’s second U.S. satellite lab, following the opening of its Boston facility earlier this year. The Portland lab aims to enhance accessibility to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) services for cell and gene therapy developers on the West Coast, addressing logistical challenges inherent in international and cross-country sample shipments.
Specializing in GMP-certified TEM services and nanoparticle quality control, QuTEM AB supports advanced therapy and nanomedicine developers from its headquarters in Stockholm. The Portland lab will follow the operational model of the Boston site, enabling domestic submission of development-stage samples. This setup reduces the risks associated with sample transportation, including temperature fluctuations and customs delays, thereby improving analytical timelines for biotechnology companies in locations like Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego.
The OHSU facility operates a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratory, equipped to handle a variety of samples, including Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV), lentiviral and other viral vectors, and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). OHSU’s microscopy scientists will conduct sample preparation and TEM imaging according to QuTEM’s protocols. The image data will be transferred to Stockholm, where analysts employ proprietary Gridsee software to evaluate Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) such as particle morphology and size distribution. For AAV samples, the analysis extends to measuring the proportions of empty and filled capsids.
Josefina Nilsson, CEO of QuTEM AB, highlighted that the expansion to the West Coast is a response to regional client requests for a local satellite laboratory model similar to the one in Boston. She emphasized the company’s commitment to providing high-quality analytical services without compromising the speed of product development.
The collaboration operates under OHSU’s core service model, with QuTEM utilizing MMC’s equipment and personnel on a fee-for-service basis. The company maintains responsibility for image analysis and reporting, ensuring consistency across its locations through standardized protocols and software. The Portland facility is now open for new U.S. projects, offering research and development analysis and support as programs advance toward GMP release testing. Interested parties can contact QuTEM for more information or project submissions.
About QuTEM
QuTEM AB is a Stockholm-based provider of GMP-certified TEM services and quality control analysis of nanoparticles. It serves biopharmaceutical companies developing AAV, LNP and other viral vector-based therapies. The QuTEM team builds on almost twenty years of hands-on electron microscopy experience. It combines latest-generation instruments with Gridsee, its in-house image analysis software, and validated methods to deliver objective, reproducible data from early research through GMP release. With satellite laboratories in Boston and Portland, QuTEM supports developers in Europe and across the United States.
About the OHSU Multiscale Microscopy Core
The Multiscale Microscopy Core (MMC) at Oregon Health & Science University provides academic and commercial users with access to advanced electron microscopy platforms, together with project consultation, specimen preparation, imaging and analysis services. The core was established in 2013 and is housed in the OHSU’s Robertson Life Sciences Building in Portland, Oregon. Its instruments include a Glacios cryo-transmission electron microscope, a Talos 120C G2 transmission electron microscope, a Helios UC5 Focused Ion Beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) with cryo capabilities, a Helios G3 FIB-SEM and an Apreo Volume Scope Serial Block face SEM. The MMC is a member of the OHSU University Shared Resource Cores.
Jingyi Zhang
QUTEM AB
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