Support & Resources

+1

COVID-19 RESEARCH TOOLS AND SOLUTIONS

Biotium is proud to support COVID-19 research by offering the following assay development solutions.

GelRed® and EvaGreen® dyes for PCR-based detection, qPCR master mixes, DNA/RNA quantitation kits and RNA isolation kits
Primary and secondary antibodies, antibody labeling kits and flow cytometry accessories
Reagents for western blotting, protein gel staining, and thermal shift stability assay
Featuring pH-dependent lysosome stains and other organelle specific stains

MOLECULAR STUDIES AND DIAGNOSTICS

GelRed® Nucleic Acid Gel Stain

GelRed® is our widely-known nucleic acid stain that offers superior safety and sensitivity than than EtBr, SYBR® Safe, and other gel stains. Recent studies have demonstrated GelRed® as an effective DNA  stain for RT-PCR detection of COVID-19.

  • Superior sensitivity: Much more sensitive than EtBr and SYBR® Safe.
  • Direct EtBr replacement: No need to change equipment or optical settings
  • Safer than EtBr: Non-mutagenic and non-hazardous for disposal
  • Versatile: Compatible with downstream gel purification, restriction digest, sequencing, and cloning
  • Convenient: Your choice of formats and workflows (GelRed® agarose, GelRed® loading buffer, prestaining, pre-cast, or post-staining)

GelRed® is validated for RT-PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2:

Comparison of ethidium bromide (EtBr) and GelRed® in precast gel staining using 1% agarose gel in TBE buffer. Two-fold serial dilutions of 1 kb Plus DNA Ladder (Invitrogen) were loaded in the amounts of 200 ng, 100 ng, 50 ng and 25 ng from left to right. Gels were imaged using 300 nm transilluminator and photographed with an EtBr filter.

EvaGreen® & EvaGreen® Plus: Next-Generation qPCR Dyes

EvaGreen® & EvaGreen® Plus are industry-leading DNA binding dyes that are ideal for qPCR, digital PCR, LAMP, and HRM analysis. Recent studies have implemented EvaGreen® dye in point-of-care LAMP-based diagnostic assays for COVID-19 (El-Tholoth et. al, Sun et. al).

  • Superior performance: Brighter and less inhibitory than SYBR® Green I for qPCR and isothermal amplification (such as LAMP)
  • Versatile: Suitable for droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), microfluidic digital PCR systems, capillary gel electrophoresis, and more
  • High-resolution melt analysis: The only dye that allows you to perform qPCR and HRM analysis in the same reaction
  • Safe: Non-mutagenic and non-cytotoxic

EvaGreen® is validated in numerous publications for detection of SARS-CoV-2:

 

Figure 1. EvaGreen® dye binds to dsDNA via a "release-on-demand" mechanism.
Figure 1. EvaGreen® Dye binds to dsDNA via a “release-on-demand” mechanism.
iconsevagreen
Figure 2. EvaGreen® Dye is non-toxic, non-mutagenic, and non-hazardous to aquatic life.

Hot-Start EvaGreen®-based qPCR Master Mixes

Forget-Me-Not™ qPCR Master Mixes feature high-performance EvaGreen® Dye and Cheetah™ HotStart Taq DNA Polymerase as well as two-color tracking for convenient and efficient workflows.

  • Ready-to-use: Just add primers and DNA template
  • Optimized: Featuring our superior EvaGreen® Dye and formulated with Cheetah™ HotStart Taq for fast cycling protocols
  • Convenient: 2-color tracking to prevent waste and other costly mistakes
  • Available with no ROX, high or low ROX, for use with any PCR instrument

We also offer Forget-Me-Not™ Universal Probe qPCR Master Mix for high performance probe-based PCR applications such as TaqMan® and dual-labeled BHQ® probe assays.

 

FMN, Fast EG, QuanitNova comparison
Figure 3. Forget-Me-Not™ EvaGreen® qPCR master mix performs as well or better than other dye-based PCR master mixes, with exceptional brightness and sensitivity.

N-Flux™ 5X Digital PCR Master Mix

N-Flux™ 5X Digital PCR Master Mix is a high-performance, dye-free master mix specially formulated for chip-based digital PCR (cdPCR) platforms.

  • Robust results: Sensitive and reproducible performance in dPCR and qPCR assays
  • Optimal sample partitioning: Minimizes interactions with hydrophobic plastic surfaces and maximizes end-point fluorescence
  • Compatible with probe-based technologies: Including TaqMan® dual-labeled such as BHQ® probes, and displacement probes
  • Convenient 5X concentration: Facilitates workflows for samples that are too dilute for 2X master mixes

 

High-resolution, multiplex copy number variation analysis performed using N-Flux™ 5X Digital PCR Master Mix on the COMBiNATi Microfluidic Array Partitioning (MAP16) device. Superior partitioning results in quantitative determination of the copy number of a low abundance SNP variant and a high abundance control on human gDNA, with excellent separation between positive and negative wells.

 

DNA and RNA Quantitation Kits

Molecular biology applications such as NGS require sensitive and selective quantitation. AccuBlue®, AccuGreen®, and AccuClear® are fluorescent quantitation kits with industry-leading sensitivity, accuracy, and versatility.

  • Quality: Accurate and sensitive detection ideal for NGS and other applications
  • Ultrasensitive: Kit options for detecting down to 1 pg DNA or 5 ng RNA
  • Versatile: Options for fluorescent plate reader or Qubit® fluorometer
  • Selective: All kits have high selectivity for DNA or RNA
  • Best Value: Economical kits with exceptional quality
Figure 4. Detection limits of microplate reader assays.

PMA and PMAxx™ Viability PCR Dyes

Viability PCR is a powerful technology for the sensitive and rapid detection of viable microorganisms. Unlike time-consuming culturing methods, qPCR is a fast and sensitive method of detection. PMA and PMAxx™ have been validated in a wide variety of viruses, as well as yeast and bacteria (see PMA & PMAxx™ References).

  • Specific: Obtain accurate viability information for targeted microorganisms in mixed cultures through primer-based specificity
  • Rapid and Sensitive: Convenient PCR-based workflows for fast and ultrasensitive quantification
  • Validated: v-PCR with PMA has been cited in hundreds of publications and several viruses including Hepatitis A,  Norovirus, and enteroviruses

 

The basic v-PCR workflow involves the following 5 steps: dye addition, incubation, light exposure, DNA extraction, and qPCR.

RNA Isolation Kit

The RNAstorm™ RNA Isolation Kit allows purification of high quality total RNA from either cultured cells or fresh tissue in as little as 20 minutes. High yields (up to 120 μg) can be obtained using a simple and quick column-based protocol. Contaminating DNA is removed using a DNase treatment step, and the protocol avoids toxic chemicals such as phenol or chloroform.

  • Quality: High quality total RNA suitable for next-generation sequencing (RNA-Seq), RT-PCR, cDNA synthesis, and microarrays
  • Convenient: Simple 20 minute workflow yielding up to 120 μg of RNA
  • DNase treatment included
  • No phenol-chloroform and no ethanol precipitation required
Figure 5. Total RNA was extracted from 107 Jurkat cells, mouse liver tissue (~8 mg) and calf liver tissue (~17 mg) using the RNAstorm™ RNA Isolation Kit and a leading competitor kit. Concentrations were measured using Qubit. For all samples, higher yields were obtained using the RNAstorm™ kit.

Other Molecular Biology Reagents

dCTP CF® Dye Conjugates

 

Back to top

IMMUNOASSAY DEVELOPMENT

As COVID-19 becomes more widespread, development of immunoassays becomes critical for broad serological testing of individuals who carry antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. These assays rely on accurate detection of human IgG or IgM antibodies that bind to viral antigens. We offer several high-quality secondary antibodies, including anti-human IgG, IgM, and IgA secondary antibodies suitable for fluorescent or enzyme-based detection methods. We also have a collection of over 1000 monoclonal primary antibodies that can be used to detect and characterize induced cytokines, inflammation, and other immunological responses associated with COVID-19 infection.

Secondary Antibodies

Biotium offers a wide selection of highly cross-adsorbed secondary antibodies conjugated to fluorescent CF® Dyes, enzymes and fluorescent proteins.

  • Highly cross-adsorbed: Minimal cross-reactivity with other target species for multiplex staining
  • Large choice of labels: 20 bright and photostable CF® Dyes, HRP, AP, R-PE, APC, or biotin
  • Versatile: Antibodies suitable for ELISA, immunofluorescence, immunohistology, and flow cytometry
  • Custom conjugations: Custom orders for other CF® Dye labels are available upon request. Please contact technical support for inquiries.

Browse secondary antibodies, search with Antibody Finder, or see secondary antibody product listings with catalog numbers.

 

Western detection of mouse anti-tubulin with CF®680 goat anti-mouse (red) and rabbit anti-COXIV with CF®770 goat anti-rabbit (green). Blot was imaged on LI-COR® Odyssey®.

 

Rat hippocampus stained with CF®488A anti-NueN (neuronal nuclei, green) and rabbit anti-GFAP detected with CF®680 goat anti-rabbit IgG (glia, red).

Primary Antibodies

Biotium has a growing collection of over 1000 monoclonal antibodies validated for IHC, flow cytometry, and other applications.

  • Validated in IHC and other applications
  • Large choice of labels: 13 bright and photostable CF® Dyes, R-PE, APC, PerCP, HRP, AP, or biotin
  • Size options: 100 uL to 500 uL sizes available
  • Also available unlabeled, BSA-free (ready-to-use for Mix-n-Stain™ labeling)

Browse primary antibodies, or search with Antibody Finder

CF647 CD31 PECAM
Flow cytometry analysis of Jurkat cells stained with CF®647 isotype (orange) or CF®647 anti-CD31 clone C31.7.
MCF7 cells stained with CF®555 anti-Cyclin B1 clone CCNB1/1098 (red), CF®488A phalloidin (green), and DAPI.

Rapid Antibody Labeling Kits

Mix-n-Stain™ Antibody Labeling Kits are particularly useful if custom labeling or specific antibody conjugates aren’t readily available. These kits provide efficient and versatile antibody or protein labeling in as little as 30 minutes with minimal hands-on time.

  • Patented buffer system for optimal labeling and brighter conjugates
  • Versatile: Labeling tolerates BSA, Tris, gelatin, trehalose, azide, and ascites fluid
  • Flexible: Kit options for labeling < 5 ug antibody and up to 1 mg
  • Efficient: 100% antibody recovery, no purification required.
  • Choice: Label with ~30 CF® Dyes, HRP, AP, R-PE, APC, PerCP, and biotin

Biotium also offers Mix-n-Stain™ Nanobody Labeling Kits specifically designed for optimal labeling of single-domain Nanobodies® (also called camelid single variable or VHH domains).

 

Flow Cytometry Reagents

Biotium offers many reagents for analyzing cellular viability and proliferation by flow cytometry. Our Live-or-Dye™ kits contain fixable dead cell stains available in 12 bright colors. Our ViaFluor® dyes are cell-permeable, non-toxic dyes that are useful for long-term cell labeling and cell division tracking. The novel NucView® Caspase-3 Substrates are the only caspase substrates for real-time apoptosis detection.

Live-or-Dye™ kits are available with 12 bright and stable dye colors for multichannel flow cytometry.

We also offer several common reagents and accessories to support immunoassay development on flow cytometry platforms.

Back to top

Vaccine and Antibody Characterization

Research and development towards COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics is moving at an incredible pace, indicative of an unprecedented global research effort in both scale and speed. Several preclinical and Phase I drug candidates are either therapeutic antibodies or recombinant protein-based vaccines which require rigorous characterization prior to testing in in vivo models. Biotium continues to support this pipeline by offering several high-quality and cost efficient reagents for expression analysis and characterization of recombinant proteins.

Protein Gel Stains

Our One-Step stains are efficient, economical, and non-toxic protein gel stains. Staining is robust and rapid, requiring as little as 5 minutes in a single step without fixation or washing. One-Step stains are compatible with downstream applications including Edman-based sequencing and mass spectrometry.

  • One-Step Blue®: A visible blue stain that is a safer and less hazardous Coomassie alternative with comparable sensitivity
  • One-Step Lumitein™: A red fluorescent stain at lower cost than SYPRO® Ruby, with comparable sensitivity
  • One-Step Lumitein™ UV: A non-toxic and rapid red fluorescent protein gel stain optimized for UV transilluminators
One-Step Blue® is an alternative to tedious staining protocols using Coomassie blue dye, and can be imaged visually or using a near-infrared fluorescence imager.

Western Blotting Reagents

We offer a broad selection of reagents and tools for western blotting including classic and novel blocking reagents, buffers, total protein prestains, and prestained protein ladders. View our Western Blotting technology page for more info.

VersaBlot™ total protein normalization kits for western blot normalization. HeLa cell lysate in serial dilution was labeled with (A) the CF®770T total protein prestain before SDS-PAGE and transfer to PVDF, or (B) mouse anti-tubulin primary antibody and CF®770T goat anti-mouse secondary antibody after transfer to PVDF. (C) Plots of band intensity vs protein content for CF®770T labeled lysate (shown in A), CF®680T labeled lysate (membrane not shown), and tubulin WB (shown in B). The VersaBlot™ total protein normalization kits show better linearity compared to housekeeping protein detection.

Thermal Shift Stability Assay

The GloMelt™ Thermal Shift Protein Stability Kit is a low cost and rapid solution for analyzing protein thermal stability on PCR instruments.

  • Universal: Green fluorescence optimal for qPCR instruments
  • Versatile: Compatible with high detergent concentrations and tolerates a wide pH range, reducing agents, and common buffers/excipients
  • Scalable for High Throughput Studies: Compatible with low reaction volumes and low protein concentrations
Environmentally sensitive fluorescent dyes can be used to monitor the temperature dependent unfolding of a protein. The protein’s melting temperature (Tm) is a reporter of the protein’s thermal stability.

Small Animal In Vivo Imaging

Our ViVoBrite™ Rapid Antibody Labeling Kits are ideal for preparing fluorescently labeled antibodies for in vivo imaging in small animals. Each kit contains one of our superior Near-IR CF® dyes which offer highly specific detection and strong tissue penetration for in vivo imaging. Learn more about Biotium’s superior Near-IR CF® dyes.

  • Each kit contains sufficient reagents for 3 labeling reactions of 1 mg each
  • Available with four industry-leading near-IR CF® dyes
  • Includes buffers, ultrafiltration vials and syringe filters for labeling and purification

VivoBrite™ Rapid Antibody Labeling Kits for Small Animal In Vivo Imaging

Back to top

CELLULAR STAINS

We offer a wide array of cellular stains for studying the disease state and cell response associated with COVID-19. Our novel stains for lysosomes, microtubules, and mitochondria are particularly useful for analyzing broad cellular changes during infection.

LysoView™ Lysosomal Stains 

A key mechanism for infection by coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 is the hijacking of endocytic processes that facilitate viral membrane fusion. Lysosomes play a critical role in these processes, particularly lysosome proteases which activate coronavirus spike proteins for viral entry into cells (Zheng et. al). LysoView™ dyes are lysosome specific, pH-sensitive fluorescent stains for live cells and are available in blue, green, visible red, and far-red fluorescence. These stains may be particularly useful for studying SARS-CoV-2 tropism with respect to lysosomes as well as analyzing cellular responses to potential therapeutics in vitro.

  • Specific: Highly-selective lyosomotropic dyes that accumulate in acidic organelles
  • Convenient: pH-dependent fluorescence in live cells without a wash step
  • Choice: Available in 5 colors from blue to far-red fluorescence
HeLa cells were stained with LysoView™ 540 (red) and counterstained with Hoechst 33342 (blue).

 

Live HeLa cells stained with MitoView™ Green (mitochondria, green) and LysoView™ 633 (lysosomes, magenta).

Other Cellular Stains

See our full selection of novel and classic cellular stains for organelles and other cell structures.

  • Mitochondria: MitoView™ dyes are membrane potential-dependent and -independent mitochondria stains available in 5 colors
  • Nucleus: NucSpot™ and RedDot™ nuclear stains for live or fixed cells available in a variety of colors
  • Cell Surface: Our line of CellBrite™ and MemBrite™ cell surface stains accommodate a broad range workflows for imaging in live or fixed cells.
  • Microtubules: ViaFluor™ live-cell microtubule stains are cell-permeable microtubule probes for visualizing cytoskeleton. CF® Dye phalloidin conjugates are also available for staining actin filaments in fixed cells.

Browse our full selection of cellular stains or view our Cellular Stains Selection Guide.

HeLa cells stained with CellBrite™ Fix 555 (red) and CF® 640R mouse monoclonal anti-Mitochondrial Marker clone 113-1 (cyan).
RedDot™ 2 nuclear counterstain (magenta) with CF® dye secondary antibodies and CF®405M phalloidin.

Back to top