The deal is important as it reflects the growing dominance for this type of analytical technology especially in the drug discovery and development process. Biotechnology firm Kreatech, are gradually emerging as one of the main suppliers of equipment and reagents in the antibody and microarray market.
Under the terms of the agreement, GenTel will market and sell the ULS labelling reagents under their brand name Pandela in kit format. The kits are validated for use on GenTel's Path protein microarray technology platform.
For one- or two-colour fluorescent profiling of the relative abundance of proteins using single capture antibody arrays, each protein sample is labelled with either ULS-biotin or ULS-fluorescein, and probed against the antibody microarray.
The bound labelled proteins are detected using fluorescent Dy dyes from Dyomics GmbH using either a streptavidin-Dy647 conjugate or an anti-fluorescein antibody-Dy547 conjugate.
"This agreement confirms the benefits of our ULS technology for profiling of complex protein mixtures, like serum, on high content antibody arrays. The performance of ULS on GenTel's PATH array platform technology subscribes the wide platform compatibility of this protein labelling technology," said Roel Schaapveld, director business development of Kreatech.
The processed microarray is then scanned on a standard two-colour fluorescent scanner. Kreatech, holder of a license from Dyomics, has sub-licensed the rights to market and sell the Dyomics' dye conjugates to GenTel.
"The combination of ULS with GenTel's PATH Slides also opens the door to the significant 'homebrew' antibody array market," he added.
GenTel's PATH protein microarray surface technology consists of an ultra-thin nitrocellulose film used specifically for multiplex immunoassays. GenTel's nitrocellulose coatings offer low auto-fluorescence and high signal-to noise.
Kreatech's ULS technology provides the basis for Kreatech's range of labelling applications. ULS labelling is based on the stable coordinative binding properties of platinum complexes to nucleic acids and proteins.
The ULS molecule consists of a platinum complex, a detectable molecule and a leaving group, which is displaced upon reaction with the target. This ULS molecule forms a co-ordinative bond, firmly coupling the ULS to the target.
ULS labels DNA, and RNA by binding to the N7 position of guanine. In proteins, ULS binds to nitrogen and sulphur containing side chains of Methionine, cysteine and histidine.
ULS is available coupled to a variety of labels and haptens, including fluorochromes, biotin, dinitrophenol and horseradish peroxidase. The labelling reaction allows a wide range of conditions and produces a highly stable bond.
According to Frost & Sullivan, a New York-based consulting firm specialising in emerging high-technology markets, projected in June 2001 that the biochip industry will surpass the $3.3 billion (€2.7 billion) revenue mark by 2004, with the largest share garnered by the microarray segment.
For the pharmaceutical industry, this new technology is emerging at a critical point. With the number of blockbuster pharmaceutical products scheduled to go off patent, tremendous growth in the demand for drugs, especially new drugs, and slowing growth and declining R&D productivity, the industry needs and increase in potential drug targets.
The industry today is spending more money to develop fewer products. Protein microarray technology is one of several biochip technologies that can help shift the trend back to one of continuing innovation.