Biotin is currently used in molecular biology to label proteins, oligonucleotides and antibodies in order to selectively capture and immobilize these conjugates using either of the proteins streptavidin or avidin. Non-radioactive labeling of biological molecules has become quite popular during the past 16 years mostly due to advances in molecular biology and, more specifically, due to the development of biotin-avidin based methods. Avidin-biotin technology emerged in the 1980's as a versatile, highly specific technique for labeling and separating a wide variety of bio-molecules and cells. Currently, in the US, biotin is produced solely by Hoffman-LaRoche in addition to the nearly 400,000 lbs. that are imported annually, 20% of which are used in pharmaceuticals and molecular labelling.Cell separation is a difficult task especially with fragile mammalian cells. Current technology includes flow cytometry and derivatized paramagnetic particles. Although flow cytometry is very selective, it suffers from low production rates (about a million cells per day) while paramagnetic particles provide a method that is very laborious and expensive since the separation process is actually a negative selection.Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a new material and a method whereby biotin and biotin labeled bio-molecules can be easily recovered after separation. This invention offers the following advantages over current technology:1. Lower cost2. room temperature stability3. free from bacterial contamination4. reversibly binds biotin conjugatesThis new invention can be used in a single stepto reversibly recover a specific cell population at the rate of up to 100,000,000 cells per hour. Market opportunities and potential applications of this new technology exist in the area of genome research where single-use paramagnetic biotin streptavidin particles presently cost $3 -$5 per nucleotide base. Estimates of the world market for various applications of cell separation technology vary between $60 and $600 million per year depending upon what clinical and research applications are included in the estimate.
|Original language||English (US)|
|State||Published - Jan 1 1900|