FAQs

What is High Sensitivity Fluorescence™?

High Sensitivity Fluorescence™ offers dramatically improved performance in a wide range of assays by delivering greatly enhanced signal intensity. Sirigen technology can be used either alone or in combination with standard fluorescent dyes to give 1-2 order of magnitude enhancement in performance. Whilst specific signal is dramatically boosted, background remains essentially unaltered. The dramatic improvement of signal:noise greatly enhances analytical sensitivity. High Sensitivity Fluorescence™ therefore:

• Lowers limits of detection
• Reduces false negatives
• Provides greater confidence in results
• Is an enabling technology

What advantages does HSF™ have?

• HSF™ delivers enhanced signals, lowering limits of detection and providing greater confidence in results.
  Sirigen polymers are very brightly fluorescent. They can be used as reporters in their own right or as FRET donors to conventional dyes. In either mode Sirigen’s High Sensitivity Fluorescence™ delivers 1-2 orders of magnitude more signal than the best conventional flurophores used on their own. High Sensitivity Fluorescence™ lowers limits of detection reducing false negatives and providing greater analytical confidence
• HSF™ is readily incorporated into existing assays aiding rapid and cost effective adoption.
  Sirigen technology is applicable to both immuno and nucleic acid assays and thus highly likely to improve performance in your area of interest. Sirigen polymers are easily conjugated to biological detection molecules including antibodies, avidin, biotin and nucleic acid probes offering convenient reagent substitution for rapid conversion to HSF™.
• Sirigen Technology is highly reproducible and is the method of choice for use in commercial kits and IVD products.
  Sirigen polymers and conjugates are chemically synthesized to highly defined specifications and with strict quality control. Defined synthesis and conjugation deliver products of unsurpassed reliability and reproducibility by removing variability commonly found with biological bright fluorphores easing both production and regulatory approval.
• HSF™ is commercialy attractive
  Sirigen offers customized access to its technology to ensure enhanced value is seen at all stages of the commercial process including evaluation, development and commercialization. Sirigen works with its customers to ensure commercial benefits as well as scientific ones.

Sirigen polymers greatly increase the signal in a wide variety of assay but does the background increase proportionately?

Sirigen polymers greatly increase the signal in a wide variety of assay but does the background increase proportionately?

We’ve shown in numerous applications that employing HSF™ technology greatly boosts signal to noise ratios. Appropriate experimental design using a suitable polymer conjugate with the right fluorescent excitation and detection filters permits orders of magnitude improvement in specific signal whilst leaving backgrounds essentially unaltered. Click here to take a look at the Novartis biomarker case study as an example.

How stable are Sirigen polymers?

Sirigen polymers are significantly more resistant to photobleaching than conventional dyes. They also exhibit good thermal stability and their performance is not affected by incubation at elevated temperatures for prolonged periods.

Sirigen refers to its polymers by their excitation wavelength. What wavelengths do they emit at?

As with conventional dyes, Sirigen polymers emit strongly across a distribution of wavelengths. This is beneficial as it means they can excite multiple acceptors when used in tandem pairs. A typical example is shown below with the 405nm polymer.