Fluorotechnics secures deal with Sigma Aldrich

Macquarie University spinoff Fluorotechnics is establishing a reputation for lucrative liaisons with giants, announcing a global marketing agreement with Sigma Aldrich for its new-tech FluoroProfile protein-quantification kits.

Under their agreement, the St Louis-based Sigma Aldrich has been given exclusive global rights to distribute, market and sell the new kits, which Fluorotechnics claims to be more robust and flexible than traditional protein-quantification assays.

FluoroTechnics' CEO, Prof Duncan Veal, said the kits exploit a remarkable fluorophore, epicocconone, discovered by chance in the common mould fungus Epicoccum nigrum.

The fluorescent molecule binds reversibly to lysine residues in any protein, in the process changing hue from pale green to intense red. Against a dark background, it fluoresces brightly under ultra-violet, blue or green light.

The intensity of the red fluorescence allows protein concentrations to be accurately measured through a range from nanograms per millilitre, to concentrations five orders of magnitude higher.

Veal said this detectability at very low concentrations made the FluoroProfile system particularly useful for flow cytometry work and live-cell imaging.

Because the protein-binding reaction is reversible, the fluorophore is readily removed, leaving uncontaminated protein that can be sequenced, characterised by mass spectrometry, or functionally analysed.

Existing protein quantification techniques like the Lowry, BCA or Bradford assays, require the use of detergents or reductants in sample preparation. Samples then have to be purified, or diluted to concentrations that stretch the sensitivity of the assays to their limits.

Veal said FluoroProfile had recently been described by the journal Organic Letters as a major advance in protein quantification. Fluorotechnics grows the fungus and purifies the fluorophore for supply to its partners.

The company has previously done a similar deal with GE Healthcare (formerly Amersham Biosciences) to commercialise its first product, Deep Purple Total Protein Stain, for visualising proteins on 1D and 2D electrophoresis gels, which is based on the same molecule.