This first product is the forerunner to a series of DNA probes with wide applications in flow cytometry and fluorescence imaging methods
Biostatus is a small start-up company, specialising in the invention, development and marketing of red-fluorescent probes for use in cell-based research, industry and healthcare diagnostics.
Its first product, Draq5, is the forerunner to a novel series of DNA probes with unique far red/low infra-red fluorescence signatures and wide applications in routine and research laboratories utilising flow cytometry and fluorescence imaging methods.
Draq5 is a pure synthetic compound with high affinity for DNA, stable at room temperature, stable under normal lighting conditions, and soluble in water at biologically compatible pH.
It can be used as a membrane permeant fluorescent dye for the rapid and convenient staining of the nuclear DNA of organisms, including live or fixed mammalian cells, with minimal RNA-associated fluorescence.
Excitation is possible by a wide range of convenient laser light wavelengths (eg 488, 514, 568, 633 or 647nm) with optimal excitation at 647nm.
Emission spectrum is beyond 670nm providing minimal overlap with the emissions from visible range dyes including GFP Draq5 does not photobleach, it is compatible with the optics of benchtop flow, laser scanning cytometers and conventional non-UV laser scanning confocal microscopes and it is provided in a convenient ready to use formulation.
Claimed advantages for immunophenotyping flow cytometry include the following.
When counter staining peripheral blood cells with Draq5 there is no detectable effect on forward scatter, side scatter, FITC fluorescence or PE fluorescence. Draq5 can be used with FITC/PE stained samples for the rapid labelling of nucleated cells.
It is possible to do this retrospectively on residual samples to aid identifying red blood cells in poorly lysed samples, identifying leucocytes when analysing red blood cells, identifying leucocytes when analysing platelet preparations, and identifying CD45-ve nucleated cells Draq5 can be used with FITC/PE stained samples for the rapid labelling of nucleated cells in a 'no lyse/no wash' protocols.
This can provide a rapid screening test for use in situations where scatter information is not required for interpretation Draq5 can provide cell cycle information (eg %G0/1, %S, %G2/M) in mixed populations identified by FITC/PE labelling.
The quality of analysis can approach that of traditional propidium iodide/ethidium bromide techniques.
This can be achieved by incubating pre-stained samples for only ten minutes with Draq5.
Flow and laser scanning advantages for research applications include:
