IMMUNOLOGY
PCX InstrumentTechnologyAssaysParticle countingFeaturesApplicationsCATALOGUECLINICAL CHEMISTRYAlfa-CHEMBeta-CHEMFlow-CHEMESR-16Biochemistry Reagents
Technology
IMMUCHEM is a biotechnology company. Its basic target is the development of a new homogenous immunological assay based on microparticle counting. This system is called PCx (lateX Particle Counting). It uses latex microparticles coated with monoclonal antibody. In the presence of antigen, the microparticles bind it and the loaded microparticles agglutinate. The free microparticles are counted and their quantity is inversely proportional to the quantity of antigens present. The counting is done by the analysis of a diffracted laser light. This fantastic progress made during the last years in laser light techniques, as in hardware and software, allow an extraordinary improvement of the sensitivity and the precision of this well known technique. IMMUCHEM develops all the parts of the system and has competent specialists in all concerned techniques, starting from the reagent development to robotic and software. Its managers have acquired very large professional experience in large international biotech companies. The impressive know-how has been accumulated during more than 20 years on the latex assays. This was supported by a large number of scientific publications. Contacts with universities allow IMMUCHEM to remain at the top of the technical progress. The company is also supported by medical chemistry and biology professionals, who are testing and validating its system and its reagents in routine conditions.
The company is continuously improving and extending the possibilities of the particle counting system by improving the optical reader, the hardware, the software and the chemical procedure. The progress accomplished today opens new perspectives especially in multiparametric assays. Those assays will open very large possibilities for the medical profession as it will allow screening tests on large populations at limited costs. DNA probes joined to antibodies will extend the detection and the assay possibilities to very large number of biomarkers especially in pathologies requiring multiple tests. Of those our attention is particularly given to the early detection of tumour markers.
The development of a multi-parametric system on the bench-top will help the small and medium laboratories to carry out a large number of parameters in less « hands on » time. It will limit the use of reagents, as various parameters will be determined in the same time in the same tube. The volume of waste will also be limited.
The use is based on DNA amplification, followed by the capture of specific amplified infectious agent DNA fragments with probes coated DNA micro-particles. This unique original system will also work in homogeneous phase. It will offer to all laboratories the possibility to perform quickly confirmation tests closer to the patient.
