AcZon NanoChromes are a new line of fluorescent dyes based on fluorescent silica nanoparticles. The silica core offers a protection to fluorescent molecules, which are sensitive by definition. The shield effect exercised by the silica matrix, protects the covalently bound dyes from the effects of external agents, such as pH, stressing light, enzymes, just to name a few. The highly regulated confinement of the fluorescent dyes in the silica matrix allows for the increase of the signal amplification. Thanks to the reactive moieties available on the shell, made of polyethylene glycol, the nanoparticle ensure the conjugation of more fluorescent molecules per single reactive group on the targeting molecule (e.g. antibody, protein, oligonucleotide, other).
All the fluorescent molecules included in the silica matrix belong to the same species, transferring their spectrofluorometric features to the nanoparticle itself.
The inclusion of different kinds of dyes in different, optimized, proportions, allows for a unique fluorescent fingerprint which ensures important advantages in spectral cytometry where the whole spectrum is the key parameter for antigen discrimination.