Quantum Dye Technology

Quantum Dye® technology has been jointly developed by Robert C. Leif, Ph.D. of Newport Instruments and Professor Lidia Vallarinoof Virginia Commonwealth University. Quantum Dyes® are macrocycles which include a central phosphorescent lanthanide atom - the same atoms that are used in color television sets. These atoms have the unique advantage of producing narrow-band, long-lived, luminescent emissions in the wet and dry states. Quantum Dye® luminescent labels are uniquely sensitive because:

The emitting species remains localized with the analyte.
The narrow band-width and fixed location of their emissions minimizes noise and cross-talk with other dyes.
They have a wide Stokes shift; the excitation peak is far away from the emission peak.
Quantum Dye® dyes with different central lanthanide atoms (europium, samarium, and terbium) each have their own narrow band emissions, which are distinct from all of the others and since they are isomorphous, have essentially the same chemistry.
Unlike conventional fluorescence dyes, Quantum Dyes® do not transfer energy to each other and self-quench. This absence of concentration quenching permits 100 Quantum dyes to be bound to a polymer.
Lanthanide enhanced luminescence permits a high concentration of light accepting species (antenna molecules) to funnel the light into a very low concentration of tagged molecules.
Simple, flash-lamp based instrumentation can be used to detect Quantum Dyes® and selectively eliminate the background noise from autofluorescence and conventional organic fluorochromes.

These characteristics of Quantum Dyes®: permit multiplexed clinical assays, result in minimal contamination of the emission spectrum of one dye by another, localized staining on slides, and have excellent signal to noise. This makes automated processing of samples easier as well as allowing multiple dyes to be combined in one sample preparation. These are all characteristics that make Quantum Dye® technology ideal for the detection and examination of rare events.

More information is available on the papers

and patents pages.

EuMac vs Fluorescein

As shown in the figure these compounds have very narrow emissions, a half-max width of 5.2 nm vs. 37.5 nm for fluorescein. The emission of europium Quantum Dye was increased by use of a lanthanide enhance luminescence solution (LEL) which contains gadolinium.

The Phoenix Flow Systems' anti5-BrdU antibody has been labelled with the monoisothiocyanate version of the europium macrocycle. Modified versions of the Phoenic Flow kits have been employed to produce directly stained apoptotic and S phase cells, which are counter stained with DAPI. Please follow this link to see them. This product is for sale to investigators and colaborating companies.

More information is available on the papers

and patents pages.

Newport is looking for collaborators to expand our markets to fluorescence in situ hybridization, FISH and comparative genomic hybridization.

Need a sample? Then contact Newport Instruments.

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The diisothiocyanate of the europium Quantum Dye is commercially available from Research Organics.

Research Organics Inc.
4353 East 49th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44125

(800) 321-0570
(216) 883-8025; FAX 216 883-1576

Research Organics