Research Applications
Researchers all over the world meet analytical challenges in their studies, where sensitive and specific measurement of a target analyte is required to support their conclusions.
It is impossible to summarise the wide range of applications that can trigger such a need – but if there is a need for an immunoassay, Fleet Bioprocessing Ltd. will always be happy to develop one to meet your requirements.
Sometimes all we have been provided with is the name of the target molecule, and we have done the whole job from that point onwards – sourcing novel recombinant antigens, raising novel polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, and incorporating these into functional ELISAs.
Contact us via our enquiry form here if you would like to discuss the application of an immunoassay to your research challenge.
Example Projects
Fleet contribute to EU-wide BiomarcaRe collaboration
Under the EC-funded Framework 7 program, Fleet were responsible for the development of a panel of novel immunoassays for the BiomarcaRe project as potential indicators of cardiovascular risk. The target analytes were identified from transcriptomics studies and because of their novelty, commercial antigens and antibodies were generally unavailable - requiring Fleet to generate and screen these critical reagents before any assay development could proceed.
Innovate UK-funded project under the Analysis for Innovators program seeks anaytical procedures to predict immunoassay performance
Fleet was lead partner for an Innovate UK-funded collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory and the National Measurement Laboratory (LGC Ltd.), to look at characterisation of antibody conjugates and correlation of the characterisation data with performance in immunoassay. The results from this project have been presented at a number of scientific meetings. A follow-on project to investigate this area further has been funded by Innovate UK and is currently ongoing.
Image courtesy of Dr. Kate Groves, National Measurement Laboratory (LGC): Changes to the structure of a biotin-labelled antibody mapped using hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS). Project funded by Innovate UK through the Analysis for Innovators scheme.
Better detection of infections in cystic fibrosis patients
As part of an initiative to provide better diagnosis and treatment of children with cystic fibrosis, Fleet developed a novel ELISA for a bacterial toxin which was shown in a customer's clinical study to correlate rapidly with exacerbations in infection. This could allow the possibility of earlier and more effective intervention during such episodes.