Nanoprobes

Nanoprobes is a collaborative nanoparticle research company dedicated to finding cures for cancer and other serious diseases. As we develop nanoparticle products for the research community, Nanoprobes has designed some of the most sensitive reagents and technologies for detecting biomolecules. Our unique gold labeling technology uses chemically cross-linked metal clusters and nanoparticles as labels. Unlike traditional immunogold probes, where colloidal gold particles are electrostatically adsorbed onto antibodies and proteins, our gold labels are uncharged molecules that cross-link to specific sites on biomolecules. This provides our probes with a range and versatility that colloidal gold does not possess. Our labels can attach to any molecule with reactive groups, and other labels can be used in conjunction with our gold labels; our unique FluoroNanogold™ probes combine Nanogold® and fluorescein into one probe for imaging specimens through both fluorescence and electron microscopy. New probes can be designed based on any fragment of naturally occurring biomolecules, and the labels can be positioned away from the binding site so as not to interfere with binding. Our 1.4 nm Nanogold® probes have been cited in over 250 publications, and we are now developing larger cross-linkable labels to provide our customers with larger covalently linkable probes that retain the same advantages. Nanoprobes has developed new technologies to expand the application of gold labels in sensitive and rapid medical diagnostics. We offer a range of auxiliary reagents for signal amplification, staining, and imaging. We also develop new applications for metal clusters and nanoparticles as components of new materials, sensors, and data storage media. Our research is conducted by our team of skilled research chemists and biophysicists in collaboration with leading researchers from universities and private laboratories. The company has received numerous grants from the NIH and NSF through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which supports many of our research activities.