Nanoprobes, Inc.: Innovators in Nanoparticle Labeling and Bioimaging Reagents
Nanoprobes, Inc. is a leading biotechnology company based in the United States, specializing in the development and manufacture of ultrasensitive nanoparticle reagents for biological and medical research. Founded in 1991, the company is located in Yaphank, New York, and has established itself as an innovator in harnessing chemistry, biology, and nanotechnology for the visualization, detection, and localization of biological molecules. The core of the company???s work revolves around creating highly specific and superior probes for use in various forms of microscopy, medical diagnostics, and materials science.
The company's technology is primarily built upon a unique gold labeling method that utilizes chemically cross-linked metal clusters and nanoparticles. Unlike conventional immunogold probes, which rely on the electrostatic adsorption of colloidal gold particles to antibodies, Nanoprobes' gold labels are uncharged molecules covalently cross-linked to specific sites on biomolecules. This chemical linkage and resulting uncharged nature provide their probes with superior stability, smaller size, and greater versatility, allowing them to be attached to a wide array of molecules???including proteins, peptides, oligonucleotides, small molecules, and lipids???for high-resolution detection and localization in research applications.
Continue…Core Business and Technology
Nanoprobes' fundamental business is the supply of precision nanoparticle labeling products to the scientific community. Their reagents are engineered to expand the uses of gold labels for sensitive and rapid detection, staining, and imaging across multiple modalities. They actively engage in research, often supported by grants from the NIH and NSF, to develop new applications for metal clusters and nanoparticles as components in novel materials, sensors, and data storage media, in addition to their biological applications. The primary applications for their products include:
- Electron Microscopy (EM): Providing extremely high-resolution tags, particularly for transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
- Light Microscopy (LM): Offering enhanced visibility and sensitivity for light microscopy techniques.
- Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy (CLEM): Developing probes that enable the same target to be imaged first with fluorescence (LM) and then with high-resolution electron microscopy (EM).
- Medical Diagnostics and Imaging: Creating agents for sensitive in situ hybridization (ISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC), blotting, and medical imaging such as X-ray and MicroCT.
Key Products and Product Lines
Nanoprobes, Inc. offers a diverse portfolio of reagents and kits, which can be grouped into several key product families:
NanogoldŽ and Undecagold Labels
These are the foundational gold nanoparticle labels and clusters that form the basis of many of the company's products.
* NanogoldŽ Conjugates: A comprehensive line of probes featuring the 1.4 nm NanogoldŽ particle, which is significantly smaller than colloidal gold, allowing for better penetration and high-density labeling. The range includes NanogoldŽ Secondaries (Fab' and IgG conjugates with covalently bound NanogoldŽ in 1.4 nm, 5 nm, and 12 nm sizes) and NanogoldŽ-Streptavidin conjugates.
* NanogoldŽ/Undecagold Labeling Reagents: Reagents sold with functional groups ready for researchers to perform their own conjugations, including Monoamino NanogoldŽ, Monomaleimido NanogoldŽ, Mono-Sulfo-NHS-NanogoldŽ, and various Click NanogoldŽ and Click Undecagold reagents for bioconjugation via click chemistry.
* Recombinant Protein Detection: Specific conjugates like Ni-NTA-NanogoldŽ are offered for the ultra-sensitive and high-resolution detection of polyhistidine-tagged (His-Tag) targets.
FluoroNanogold???
A key product line for Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy (CLEM). These are dual-label probes that combine the high sensitivity of a fluorescent dye with the high resolution of the NanogoldŽ particle.
* Products: Include probes combining NanogoldŽ with common fluorophores such as Fluorescein, Alexa FluorŽ 488, Alexa FluorŽ 546, Alexa FluorŽ 594, and Alexa FluorŽ 647, all available as antibody or streptavidin conjugates.
Enhancers and Developers
These chemical kits are used to amplify the signal from the gold nanoparticle labels, making them visible under light microscopy or enhancing their contrast for electron microscopy.
* GoldEnhance???: A precision developer that selectively deposits a layer of gold metal onto the NanogoldŽ or Undecagold label, significantly increasing its size and visibility for light microscopy (LM), electron microscopy (EM), and Western blots.
* Silver Enhancers: Kits designed for the deposition of metallic silver onto the gold label for extraordinary signal amplification and contrast, with formulations optimized for both EM and LM applications.
Enzyme Metallography and Stains
This line features innovative substrates that deposit a dense, insoluble metal precipitate, enabling high-sensitivity detection in various formats.
* EnzMet??? HRP Stains: A revolutionary HRP (Horseradish Peroxidase) substrate that deposits a dark, metallic precipitate, offering an ultrasensitive alternative to conventional chromogens for in situ hybridization (ISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and blotting.
* Negative Stains: High-density, high-contrast reagents for EM, such as Nano-VanŽ and Nano-WŽ.
MicroCT and X-ray Contrast Agents
Leveraging the high atomic number of gold, Nanoprobes has developed a range of contrast agents for small-animal imaging research.
* AuroVist???: Gold nanoparticle X-ray contrast agents (e.g., 1.9 nm and 15 nm sizes) designed to provide incredible detail and contrast for MicroCT and angiography applications.
* VivoVist???: Another MicroCT contrast agent with a long blood half-life.
In addition to its standard catalog, Nanoprobes, Inc. offers Custom Nanoparticle Synthesis & Nanoprobe Labels services, providing tailored solutions to meet specific research and development needs for custom conjugates and novel applications.
