Contract research services

Labeling technologiesKeywords: bioconjugation, protein, antibody, fluorophore, enzyme-tag, drug discoveryAAT Bioquest has provided a variety of enabling detection technologies to many large pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies. We have special expertise in the areas of fluorescence labeling, biotinylation, enzyme labeling, cell labeling and crosslinking of macromolecules such as antibodies, enzymes and nucleic acids. Our CRO services are the most more cost-effective in the industry.

Lead compound identificationKeywords: lead, small molecule detection, chemical modification, high-throughput screening, receptor inhibitionLead compound identification is a complex process, with many decision-making points converging upon the selection of promising compounds to compete in the race for lead compound optimization and, ultimately, clinical candidate development. AAT Bioquest has developed a number of high throughput and high content assays that are used for our lead compound identification service.

Luminescence technologiesKeywords: luminescence, emission, luciferin, quantification assay, microplateLuminescence-based assays are the tests in which a luminescent signal (in the form of light, or photons) is generated via a chemical or biochemical reaction and measured using a plate reader. In general, light collected from luminescent assay measurements is not restricted to particular wavelengths. AAT Bioquest uses its unique expertise to develop novel luminescence-based assays to meet its customers' special needs.

Nanoparticle developmentKeywords: nanoparticles, surface modification, spatio-temporal tagging, bioconjugation, gene regulationNanoparticles are particles between 1 and 100 nanometers in size. Nanoparticles are of great scientific interest as they are, in effect, a bridge between bulk materials and atomic or molecular structures. A bulk material should have constant physical properties regardless of its size, but at the nano-scale size-dependent properties are often observed. That is, the properties of materials change as their size approaches the nanoscale and as the surface-to-volume ratio of the material increases. Nanoparticles often possess unexpected optical properties as they are small enough to confine their electrons and produce quantum effects. Using its unique conjugation and surface-coating chemistry, AAT Bioquest has custom-developed a variety of nanoparticles for its customers.

Point of care technologiesKeywords: POCT, diagnostics, patient care, conjugation, fluorescence, glucose-monitoring, food contaminationPoint-of-care testing (POCT), or bedside testing is defined as medical diagnostic testing at or near the point of care at the time and place of patient care. This contrasts with the historical pattern in which testing was wholly or mostly confined to the medical laboratory, which entailed sending off specimens away from the point of care and then waiting hours or days to learn the results, during which time care must continue without the desired information. Using its unique conjugation and fluorescence detection chemistry, AAT Bioquest has custom-developed a variety of POCT technologies for its customers such as glucose-monitoring and on-site food contamination detection.

TR-FRET technologiesKeywords: FRET, delayed excitation, reduced background, tandem dyes, europium, terbium, fluorescence microscopyTime-resolved fluorescence energy transfer (TR-FRET) is the practical combination of time-resolved fluorometry (TRF) combined with Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) that offers a powerful tool for drug discovery researchers. TR-FRET combines the low background aspect of TRF with the homogeneous assay format of FRET. The resulting assay provides an increase in flexibility, reliability and sensitivity in addition to higher throughput and fewer false positive/false negative results. FRET involves two fluorophores, a donor and an acceptor. Excitation of the donor by an energy source (e.g. flash lamp or laser) produces an energy transfer to the acceptor if the two are within a given proximity to each other. The acceptor in turn emits light at its characteristic wavelength. AAT Bioquest has used its trFluor™ technology to custom-develop TR-FRET-based POCT technologies for its HTS customers.