Biosynth Licenses Unique Chemiluminescent Reporter Probes

Reporter molecules are used in biochemical staining and bioassays such as ELISA. Traditionally, these are molecules with high molar extinction coefficients or have strong fluorescence. Fluorescence is often preferred since the signal is stronger. But one needs the right fluorophore. However, chemiluminescence (CL) can rival or even surpass fluorescence in lowering detection limits, since the reaction space can be very dark. Interference from stray light is reduced. Indeed, some have noted that CL detection is a fluorometer with the light turned off. Despite its advantages, CL reporters are not popular because the reactions are rare.

Chemiluminescence refers to a chemical reaction producing a product in an excited electronic state. This state then decays into an electronic ground state by emitting light. The decay can be a quantum mechanically allowed transition, which is analogous to fluorescence, or a forbidden transition, which is analogous to phosphorescence. The phosphorescence reaction is usually slower, which produces a lower light flux and signal, and hence is less desirable.

A standard example of chemiluminescence in the laboratory setting is the luminol test, where blood is indicated by luminescence upon contact with iron in hemoglobin. When chemiluminescence takes place in living organisms, the phenomenon is called bioluminescence.

The lab of Prof. Doron Shabat from Tel Aviv University (TAU), in collaboration with Biosynth AG (Staad, Switzerland), have developed a new program for commercializing CL products. Prof. Shabat recently published on a series of dioxtane CL probes (Green, O.; Eilon, T. et al. Opening a gateway for chemiluminescence cell imaging: distinctive methodology for design of bright chemiluminescent dioxetane probes.ACS Central Sci. 2017, 4, 349–58). These use a single oxygen mechanism, which may be more versatile. Biosynth plans to market the probes under the AquaSpark trademark.

I’m impressed with the broad potential of these CL probes. They may provide novel, ultrasensitive, reporting schemes.

Robert L. Stevenson, Ph.D., is Editor Emeritus, American Laboratory/Labcompare; e-mail: [email protected].

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