The infrared dye antibody conjugates aim to expand human phenotyping experiments innovation and make high-parameter flow cytometry more accessible.
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has launched IR820 and IR870 infrared dye antibody conjugates, marking the introduction of directly conjugated antibodies for infrared excitation in research flow cytometry applications.
The new reagents address spectral interference challenges in high-parameter flow cytometry by providing lineage marker staining with minimal overlap with other fluorochrome emissions. The conjugates feature single laser excitation at 808 nm and emit with maximal intensity at 835 nm and 896 nm, corresponding to 840/20 nm and 885/40 nm bandpass filters.
“As high-parameter flow cytometry becomes more mainstream, antibody panel design gets even more crucial due to tightening complex spectral interference patterns that can reduce data quality,” says Pietro Lopriore, vice president and general manager of the flow cytometry business unit, in a release. “Our IR820 and IR870 infrared dye conjugates with their low noise design remove complexities and make the infrared spectral range a premium place for lineage markers, allowing for a more flexible antibody panel design.”
Addressing Spectral Colocalization Issues
Current flow cytometry fluorochrome conjugates do not cover the infrared range, forcing lineage markers used for major subpopulation identification to occupy the same spectral ranges as probes for weak co-expressed antigens. This spectral colocalization can compromise resolution and sensitive detection of dimmer signals.
The new infrared conjugates enable researchers to move lineage gating markers away from commonly used spectral ranges where dim signals typically reside, potentially improving data quality in complex panels.
“We recently tested the CD3 IR820 infrared flow cytometry antibody, and we are thoroughly impressed with the results,” says Dr Theo Gerdener, head of immune phenotyping at ABJ Oncology in Pretoria, South Africa, in a release. “By using markers in these channels, we can reserve the other channels for other additional markers that are less common, which is crucial for complex multi-parameter assays.”
Technical Specifications and Availability
The IR820 and IR870 reagents are non-tandem dyes designed for use with IR-equipped CytoFLEX LX and S instruments, including spectral configurations with the mosaic detection module. The Research Use Only reagents include CD3, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD20 and CD45 specificities and are manufactured under current good manufacturing practices.
The conjugates offer what the company describes as ultralow autofluorescence background and negligible overlap with other fluorochrome emissions, enabling clearer identification of gating antigens while leaving detection of non-infrared dyes uncompromised.
