QuTEM AB is expanding its analytical services in the United States by partnering with the Multiscale Microscopy Core (MMC) at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to open a new laboratory in Portland, Oregon. This new facility marks QuTEM’s second U.S. satellite laboratory following the launch of its Boston operations earlier this year, enhancing its presence along both U.S. coasts. The Portland lab aims to provide West Coast cell and gene therapy developers with enhanced access to specialized transmission electron microscopy (TEM) services.
QuTEM, based in Stockholm, Sweden, offers GMP-certified TEM services and nanoparticle quality control analysis tailored for advanced therapy and nanomedicine developers. Its expansion to Portland is designed to replicate the operational model of its Boston site, allowing regional clients to conveniently submit development-stage samples domestically, rather than shipping them internationally or across the country.
The OHSU facility is equipped with a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratory, capable of handling samples such as Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV), lentiviral vectors, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), and other nanoparticle-based products. Microscopy scientists at OHSU will conduct sample preparation and TEM imaging using QuTEM’s established protocols, with the generated data securely transferred to Stockholm for analysis using QuTEM’s proprietary Gridsee software. This analysis will focus on Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) such as particle morphology, size distribution, and integrity. For AAV samples specifically, the analysis will include assessments of capsid proportions, distinguishing between empty, partially filled, full, and overfilled states.
The partnership is expected to streamline sample transportation and shorten analytical timelines for biotechnology companies operating along the West Coast, including those in areas like Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego. By processing samples domestically, QuTEM aims to reduce risks associated with international shipping, such as temperature changes and customs delays. Josefina Nilsson, CEO of QuTEM AB, emphasized that this expansion responds to demand from regional clients for a local laboratory model similar to Boston’s, aiming to deliver high-quality analysis without slowing down development timelines.
This collaboration with OHSU utilizes its core service model, where QuTEM leverages MMC’s equipment and personnel on a fee-for-service basis, while retaining responsibility for image analysis and reporting at its Stockholm headquarters. This ensures consistency across its global operations. The new Portland laboratory is now accepting U.S. projects, offering research and development (R&D) analysis and support for programs advancing towards GMP release testing. Interested developers can reach out to QuTEM for further information.
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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