Parent :
Bio-Rad Laboratories
Type :
Industry
Core Business :
Optical technology for analyzing interaction between biological materials.
Main Markets :
Overview :
BIO-RAD HAIFA LTD. (formerly PROTEOPTICS Ltd.) is a biotech company established in July 2000.
Company''s proprietary platform technology is based on SPR-PI (Surface Plasmon Resonance - Phase Imaging), developed in the Physics Department at the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology. SPR-PI technology is characterized by the use of image analysis to simultaneously track optical changes at many different sited in an image (array), with high sensitivity and without the need of any molecular labeling. The abilities of protein array imaging are integral part of PROTEOPTICS technology, allowing High Throughput Screening (HTS) and the monitoring of biomolecular interactions simultaneously.
BIO-RAD HAIFA System
Protein - protein binding on the sensor surface is measured by SPR-PI because it causes a phase shift in the light reflected from it. BIO-RAD HAIFA technology measures the changes in the light phase, which are proportional to the changes caused by the interaction (binding) between a "receptor” protein fixed to the sensor surface and an “analyte” protein located in the sample to be tested.
The BIO-RAD HAIFA system is composed of two subunits: an optical system and a disposable protein chip. The optical system is composed of a light source, optical components for imaging, a CCD camera and dedicated software. The disposable protein chip consists of a glass slide, coated with a thin layer of gold on which protein spots are printed. Each of the spots consists of a specific biological substance such as a peptide, protein or antibody. During the measurement process, an "analyte" solution is applied to the chip and the analyte molecule binds to the appropriate receptor molecule (Receptor B). The analyte-receptor complex affects the light reflected from the sample and a complete image of the binding on the chip is recorded using the CCD camera. The binding rate is measured from these pictures and translated into kinetics parameters.
Using the SPR-PI technology, the Company has successfully detected large molecules (proteins) at a higher sensitivity compared to the competing companies. BIO-RAD HAIFA LTD., with the aid of its partner Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc, is now focusing on the completion of the development of its protein chip and analytical system for use in drug discovery and basic research.