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Bio Assays

low-background fluorescent probes improve detection

A biosensor is a biological element such as an enzyme, antibody, nucleic acid (or even a whole cell) that can detect a particular chemical or biochemical species. Biosensors have many potential uses in a variety of disciplines, including medical research, clinical diagnosis, environmental testing, bioprocess monitoring and biotechnology in general. Because they are biological in nature, biosensors can be used to design assays that are sensitive, highly specific and extremely rapid.

Biosensors can be based on a variety of detection schemes. Among them, optical sensors make up the largest group because they typically have features that provide advantages over other systems, such as those based on electrochemical, mass, thermal or acoustic sensing. Optical sensing can be based on absorption spectroscopy (from the UV to the deep infrared), Raman and conventional fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging, as well as on more sophisticated methods such as surface plasmon resonance, evanescent wave and near-field spectroscopy, fiber optic spectroscopy, correlation spectroscopy, luminescence lifetime, polarization and energy transfer.

Fluorescent labels are added to biomolecules so that they can be detected by fluorescence spectroscopy. Labels are generally attached to the species of interest by covalent binding; usually, a reactive group on the label forms a chemical bond with the target via an amino, hydroxy, sulfhydryl or carboxy group. Ideally, the label should be inert to other chemical species present in the environment, for example to pH. To reduce background luminescence, it is preferable that labels have long-wave excitation and emission, and/or long decay times, so that any background luminescence decays faster than the luminescence of the label. For this reason, there is a substantial interest in the design of long-wave and long-decay luminescent labels.

Fluorescent probes, in contrast to labels, are generally not inert to their environment. Instead, they are designed to respond to the presence of a particular chemical species (such as an ion, pH or oxygen), which is why probes are also referred to as indicators. The many fluorescent probes that have become available in the past years have contributed substantially to the popularity of fluorescence spectroscopy in biosciences.

Active Motif Chromeon's Bio Assays use novel fluorescent probes to detect important, naturally occurring molecules such as serum albumin, oxygen and peroxide, as well as enzymes such as peroxidases and catalase. These innovative assays provide a fast and simple alternative to classical techniques, saving you time and money.

Active Motif Chromeon Bio Assays are available for the following areas: