Liberty 2.0 Peptide Synthesisers
High-efficiency solid phase peptide synthesis (HE-SPPS) using microwave energy — from research workhorse to cGMP pharmaceutical manufacturing scale.
Solving aggregation.
High Efficiency Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis applies microwave energy to both coupling and deprotection steps. The key problem it solves is aggregation — as a peptide chain grows, it tends to fold and hydrogen-bond onto itself, burying the reactive end so coupling reagents cannot reach it, which is why some sequences are called "difficult" or conventionally unsynthesisable. Microwave energy disrupts the secondary structure causing aggregation, giving access to longer, more complex peptides. CEM states it is the only supplier of microwave peptide synthesisers operating under HE-SPPS conditions, with a licence included permitting microwave use for both steps.
The solvent and waste argument. SPPS uses large volumes of DMF, under increasing regulatory restriction as a reproductive toxicant in Europe. A 90% solvent reduction addresses economic cost, waste disposal cost, regulatory exposure and operator occupational health simultaneously.
The fastest-growing pharmaceutical class globally.
Peptide therapeutics — GLP-1 receptor agonists, peptide antibiotics, peptide vaccines — are expanding rapidly. Liberty PRO is explicitly positioned for cGMP pharmaceutical manufacturing and contract manufacturing organisations. Liberty 2.0 software is 21 CFR Part 11 compliant for electronic records and signatures — relevant to South Africa's generic pharmaceutical sector and strong academic biochemistry groups.
A manual, research-scale benchtop peptide synthesiser — the entry point below the automated Liberty range, for laboratories not ready for a fully automated system or wanting a cost-effective alternative to purchasing peptides commercially. It runs on the same patented single-mode microwave cavity technology as CEM's Discover synthesis platform, with fibre-optic temperature control. Reaction rates are accelerated 10–20× versus conventional methods, and the system can access sequences that are difficult or impossible to synthesise under conventional non-microwave conditions. Being manual rather than automated makes it a lower capital-cost entry point, with an upgrade path to the fully automated Liberty range as throughput needs grow.
Preparative HPLC for peptide purification, with up to 50% higher recoveries and no acetonitrile requirement.
Razor handles peptide cleavage. CEM also supplies SPPS reagents and GMP peptide chemistry — the reagent supply as well as the hardware.
What came before Liberty Blue 2.0.
Liberty Blue and the wider current family supersede CEM's original automated microwave peptide synthesiser line, launched in 2013 as Liberty Blue and Liberty XL together — at the time offering 10× faster cycle times than earlier microwave synthesisers and covering the range from milligram-scale lead optimisation through to 200-gram pre-clinical quantities.
Liberty XL installations may still be in service in South African laboratories. Parts, consumables and service should be confirmed with the MAD team; the direct upgrade path is to the current Liberty PRIME 2.0 or Liberty PRO depending on required scale.
Where the Liberty 2.0 range is put to work.
Research-scale general microwave synthesis.
Research scale or cGMP production — talk to our team
| System | Positioning |
|---|---|
| Liberty Blue 2.0 | Research workhorse. 4-minute cycles. 90% solvent reduction. True internal temperature feedback. |
| Liberty PRIME 2.0 | Highest research performance. HT4/HT12/HT24 high-throughput modules for 4, 12 or 24 queued peptides. |
| Liberty Lite 2.0 | Entry-level system in the same family. |
| Liberty PRO | cGMP-ready, pharmaceutical manufacturing scale — for CMOs and pharmaceutical producers. |
Where the Liberty 2.0 Peptide Synthesisers is put to work.
Questions we are asked about the Liberty 2.0 Peptide Synthesisers.
Aggregation. As a peptide chain grows, it tends to fold and hydrogen-bond onto itself, burying the reactive end so coupling reagents cannot reach it — why some sequences are called "difficult" or conventionally unsynthesisable. Microwave energy applied to both coupling and deprotection steps disrupts this secondary structure, giving access to longer, more complex peptides. CEM states it is the only supplier of microwave peptide synthesisers operating under HE-SPPS conditions, with a licence included permitting microwave use for both steps.
Liberty Blue 2.0 is the research workhorse with 4-minute cycles and 90% solvent reduction. Liberty PRIME 2.0 adds HT4/HT12/HT24 high-throughput modules for 4, 12 or 24 queued peptides where research performance is the priority. Liberty Lite 2.0 is the entry-level system in the same family. Liberty PRO is cGMP-ready, for pharmaceutical manufacturers and CMOs producing at manufacturing scale.
SPPS uses large volumes of DMF (dimethylformamide), which is under increasing regulatory restriction as a reproductive toxicant in Europe. A 90% solvent reduction, based on HE-SPPS, addresses economic cost, waste disposal cost, regulatory exposure and operator occupational health simultaneously.
Yes — Discover Bio, a manual, research-scale benchtop peptide synthesiser running on the same single-mode microwave cavity technology as CEM's Discover platform, with fibre-optic temperature control. It accelerates reaction rates 10–20× versus conventional methods and provides an upgrade path to the fully automated Liberty range as throughput needs grow.
Liberty XL, launched alongside the original Liberty Blue in 2013, is superseded by the current Liberty 2.0 family. Liberty XL installations may still be in service in South African laboratories — parts, consumables and service availability should be confirmed with the MAD team. The direct upgrade path is to Liberty PRIME 2.0 or Liberty PRO depending on required scale.
The workflow around the Liberty 2.0 Peptide Synthesisers.
Discover 2.0
A single-mode (focused) microwave synthesiser for research-scale chemistry — concentrating microwave energy at a single focal point for very high energy density and rapid, clean reactions.
View product →Vessels, Liners & Consumables
The annuity supply that keeps MAD's installed base running — digestion vessels, seals, tubing and proteomics sample preparation, in local stock.
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