NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Promega said today that it has signed an agreement with Leica Microsystems to develop fluorescent labels for proteins so that they can be visualized in live cells using a Leica super-resolution microscope.
Promega said it will develop fluorescent ligands for its HaloTag fusion proteins, which will be visualized within live cells using Leica’s TCS stimulated emission depletion, or STED, microscope.
Current fluorescent imaging methods, such as green fluorescent protein, are generally not optimal for use with STED technology, the company said, because they “are prone to photobleaching and lack appropriate spectral properties,” while other protein-labeling methods, such as fluorescent antibodies, are only applicable to fixed cells.
Promega said that the agreement with Leica will enable the imaging of proteins within live cells below the 100-nanometer range.
It added that it has been working with the imaging company since 2006 to develop novel ways to label proteins within cells.