The Challenge

Technologies and applications of analytical and diagnostic methods are evolving rapidly. In the course of the majority of current procedures, the detection of substrate-molecules is of critical importance. Due to the great significance of detection assays at large and the frequent requirement for multiple labels in the course of procedures employed in current analytics and diagnostics it is therefore necessary to provide novel means for labelling and detecting biomolecules.

The Technology

New derivates of 2,4 - dichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4 - D) have been developed for labelling biomolecules (comprising RNA/DNA, amino acids, proteins, saccharids or lipids). These labels are detected by specific monoclonal antibodies. Due to the special design of the 2,4 - D derivates the binding affinity of the antibodies and hence the sensitivity is significantly increased.

Commercial Opportunity

Licensing

Patent situation

Priority establishing German patent applications claiming the new derivates of 2,4 - D and their use for labelling and detecting biomolecules were filed in 2005. The patentability of the claims were approved in an examination report issued by the German Patent and Trademark Office. PCT-applications were filed in 2006.

Contact

Ascenion GmbH
Dr. Hinrich Habeckhabeck(at)ascenion.de

About Ascenion

Ascenion is the exclusive partner of 12 life-science institutes in the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations and of one Medical School, and coordinates technology transfer for the German National Genome Research Network. They currently market around 600 technologies, together with a varied range of research materials, e.g. antibodies, animal models and vectors.