February 24, 2025

Biotium Expands Glycan Detection Portfolio with New CF® Dye Lectin Conjugates

By: Kyrie Sismaet

Fremont, CA – February 24 2025: Biotium, a leading developer of fluorescent reagents, proudly announces the launch of five new sets of CF^® Dye Lectin Conjugates. These glycobiology tools are now available to researchers seeking unparalleled sensitivity and reliability in glycan detection. The new conjugates include:

Lycopersicon esculentum (Tomato) Lectin (LEL): Specific for (β-1,4)-linked N-acetylglucosamine oligomers, this lectin is commonly used to study microglia and vascular biology.
Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA I): Recognizes α-linked fucose residues and serves as a marker for endothelial cells and incompletely differentiated gastrin cells.
Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L): Known for binding complex oligosaccharides and commonly used to stimulate T-cell proliferation in immunological studies.
Datura stramonium lectin (DSL): Prefers oligomers of N-acetylglucosamine and is widely applied in glycan structure analysis.
Sambucus nigra lectin (SNA, EBL): Binds sialic acid attached to terminal galactose with specificity for α-2,6 linkages.

Biotium continues to offer several lectins commonly used in histology as CF^® Dye conjugates: Concanavalin A (Con A), Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA), and Peanut Agglutinin (PNA). Many lectins from Biotium are also available as biotin conjugates.

The new lectin conjugates are labeled with Biotium’s proprietary CF^® Dyes, boasting exceptional brightness, photostability, and a range of emission wavelengths from UV to near-infrared. CF^® Dyes outperform other fluorescent dyes for applications such as fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and western blotting through multiple key metrics, including:

Brightness: Superior signal-to-noise ratios for clear, high-resolution imaging.
Photostability: Sustained fluorescence during prolonged imaging sessions.
Broad Selection: Available in a wide range of excitation and emission wavelengths for flexibility across applications.
Low Background: Minimal nonspecific binding ensures cleaner results.

Advancing Glycobiology Research

Biotium’s expanded lectin conjugate portfolio provides researchers with robust tools for studying cell surface glycans, glycoproteins, and tissue-specific carbohydrate structures. These lectins are commonly used in lectin arrays or blots for profiling carbohydrate expression or identifying novel ligand-receptor interactions. The combination of highly specific lectins and superior CF^® Dye performance ensures reliable and reproducible results for complex glycobiology experiments.

View Biotium’s full list of CF^® Dye lectin conjugates and other bioconjugates.