Asante Calcium Red - A Superior Red-Fluorescent Calcium Indicator at a Comfortable Price

GÖTTINGEN, Germany - Jan. 31, 2018 - PRLog -- Many biological processes are regulated by a transient rise in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration which is referred to as a "Ca2+ signal", including mitosis, vesicular secretion (e.g., release of various neurotransmitter and hormones), motility (e.g., muscle contraction), and learning and memory (e.g., long-term potentiation and depression of synaptic transmission). Techniques for the measurement and manipulation of Ca2+ are therefore crucial and have advanced rapidly, largely as a result of the invention of fluorescent calcium indicators.

The commonly used fluorescent Ca2+ indicators today (Fluo, Fura, and Indo) were invented in the 1980s with little improvement over the last 25 years. Scientists at MoBiTec's partner company TEFLabs have now developed new Ca2+ indicators that aim to remedy shortcomings in the old generation of indicators.

TEFLabs is committed to improving Ca2+ indicators and supporting scientists by:

• providing visible-wavelength indicators that offer greatly enhanced brightness and extended dynamic range = Asante Calcium Green (ACG): Fmax/Fmin=220, which is brighter than Fluo-4 by more than threefold and is leakage resistant;

• providing improved long-wavelength and near-infrared indicator families - Asante Calcium Red (ACR) and Asante Calcium NearIR (ACNIR);

• providing all Ca2+ indicator families in versions with enhanced performance characteristics, including low affinity, leakage resistance, and near-membrane Ca2+ sensing; and

• continuing innovation in fluorescent ion indicators.

Ca2+ indicators that are excited at visible wavelengths have advantages over UV-excited indicators. Whereas UV light can cause cell damage, visible light is generally biologically benign. Moreover, much less cellular autofluorescence is excited by visible light than by UV light. The ready availability of low-cost lasers that emit visible light makes the visible indicators ideal for confocal microscopy and flow cytometry.

A new indicator family - Asante Calcium Red^TM - provides a fully visible-wavelength ratiometric response and other advantages over current optical tools.

The design and synthesis of Asante Calcium Red required three years of research to make a dual emission ratiometric visible wavelength dye. As shown in the embedded graph, in a ratiometric mode the emission intensity increases with increasing calcium at 650 nm and decreases with increasing calcium at 525 nm when exciting at 488 nm. This response provides a dual emission ratiometry in the visible spectrum.

In a non-ratiometric mode, the dye is excited at 540 nm and has a strong red spectrum response at 650 nm.

Contact us for more information or visit https://www.mobitec.com

MoBiTec GmbH, Germany, is a certified agent for TEFLabs.

About MoBiTec GmbH

MoBiTec GmbH (Goettingen, Germany) is a privately held company (founded in 1987) that offers research tools for molecular and cell biology. Products include DNA vectors for cloning and expression, cell transfection reagents and cell culture tools, immobilized and soluble enzymes, products for genomics and proteomics research, numerous antibodies and recombinant proteins, superior fluorescence reagents and kits, affinity chromatography products, as well as general laboratory equipment.

In parallel to its own product lines, MoBiTec distributes products from international companies in Germany. MoBiTec products are distributed worldwide, in Germany from their home office, in other countries by distributors.