Bangs Laboratories, Inc.
Bangs Laboratories, Inc., located in Fishers, Indiana, USA, is a premier manufacturer and supplier of microspheres and microparticle-based products. The company specializes in the development and production of uniform particles essential for a broad spectrum of applications in the life sciences, diagnostics, and instrumentation calibration. Their core expertise lies in microsphere synthesis and fine particle analysis, catering to diagnostic companies, instrument manufacturers, and researchers worldwide.
Continue…Core Business and Technology
The fundamental mission of Bangs Laboratories is to provide high-quality, consistent microparticles that serve as critical components in various biological and analytical systems. Their operations center on the precision manufacturing of three main classes of microspheres:
- Polymer Microspheres: These include standard Polystyrene Microspheres, which are available in both Non-functionalized and Functionalized varieties. The functionalized beads are chemically modified to allow for covalent coupling of biological ligands, such as proteins or antibodies, a crucial step in assay development.
- Silica Microspheres: Offering distinct surface chemistry and density properties compared to polymer beads, silica particles are used in specific separation and analytical methods.
- Magnetic Microspheres and Particles: Branded under names like BioMagŪ, these superparamagnetic particles are key to automated and highly efficient bioseparations, including nucleic acid isolation (DNA/RNA isolation), cell sorting, and high-throughput immunological assays. Magnetic separation allows for rapid and complete separation of analytes from complex samples without the need for centrifugation.
The company???s work is highly relevant to the field of nanotechnology and microtechnology due to the precise control over particle size, which ranges from tens of nanometers (nanobeads) up to several micrometers (microspheres). These particles are foundational reagents in the development of modern in vitro diagnostics (IVD) and sophisticated laboratory instruments.
Products and Services
Bangs Laboratories offers an extensive catalog of products and specialized services categorized by application:
I. Diagnostic and Assay Development Reagents
- Microspheres for Immuno- and Molecular Assays:
- Polymeric Microspheres: Used for traditional immunoassays, agglutination-based diagnostics, and as solid-phase supports for binding reagents.
- Dyed Microspheres: Available with visible and fluorescent dyes in a variety of colors and wavelengths for colorimetric and fluorescence-based assays, notably in Lateral Flow Tests where dyed submicron spheres serve as the mobile phase.
- Coupling Kits: Products like PolyLink and BioMagŪ coupling kits provide a streamlined method for the covalent immobilization of proteins and other biomolecules onto the microparticle surface.
- Suspension Arrays: The QuantumPlex??? M kits feature highly uniform magnetic microspheres that can be customized with different diameters and fluorophore intensities. This allows researchers to create multiplexed assays capable of simultaneously detecting up to 20 different analytes in a single sample.
II. Flow Cytometry and Instrument Calibration Standards
A major focus is on providing industry-leading standards to ensure the accuracy, reproducibility, and linearity of analytical instruments, particularly flow cytometers.
- Fluorescence Quantification Standards:
- Quantum??? MESF (Molecules of Equivalent Soluble Fluorochrome) Kits: These standards are crucial for calibrating flow cytometers to a universal unit of fluorescence intensity, allowing for cross-instrument and cross-laboratory data comparison.
- Quantum??? Simply CellularŪ Kits: Used to determine the number of binding sites for specific antibodies on cells, enabling the quantification of cell expression levels.
- Size and Count Standards:
- Nanobead Calibration: Standards at 50nm and 100nm specifically for calibrating instruments used in the analysis of exosomes and other extracellular vesicles, a burgeoning area in medical research.
- Cell Count Standards: NISTŪ-Traceable diameter standards for precise instrument validation.
- SureCount??? PCS (Particulate Contamination Standard): Developed to meet international pharmacopoeia standards (e.g., USP<787>, USP<788>) for calibrating instruments that test for contaminating particles in pharmaceutical and therapeutic solutions.
- Viability Standards: Products such as the ViaCheck??? Viability Standards and Concentration Standards are used for instrument QC and to align data from different analyzer models.
III. Custom and Bulk Manufacturing Services
Bangs Laboratories provides essential manufacturing services for clients requiring specialized or high-volume products:
- Custom Formulations: Expertise in dyeing, coating, and surface modification of microspheres to meet the unique chemical and physical specifications of OEM customers.
- Bulk and OEM Supply: Large-scale manufacturing of microparticle reagents under an ISO 13485:2016 Quality System, ensuring the necessary regulatory compliance for diagnostic and medical device production.
- Technical Support: The company is known for offering technical and scientific support throughout the product development process, from early-stage research and development (R&D) to full-scale production.
Bangs Laboratories operates as a critical supplier within the global diagnostics and life sciences ecosystem, with its products forming the foundation for numerous commercially available diagnostic tests and research protocols.
