Highly Sensitive and Rapid Fluorescence Immunoassays Based on Metal Enhanced Fluorescence

SALZBURG & VIENNA, Austria — (BUSINESS WIRE) — October 5, 2015 — In course of the Basel Life Science Week 2015 Sony DADC BioSciences and FIANOSTICS GmbH announced a collaboration on highly sensitive and rapid fluorescence immunoassays using a novel polymer/metal hybrid for the use in metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF). Sony DADC uses its well established manufacturing processes derived from Blu-ray disc production.

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“The quantification of serum biomarkers has become an essential part of modern medical science. As these are often present in very small amounts only, there is a permanent need for raising the sensitivity of the assay methods to increase reliability of study results,” said Dr. Gerhard Hawa, CEO at FIANOSTICS GmbH.

Metal-enhanced fluorescence is a promising technology to deliver such highly sensitive tests. MEF is based on the electromagnetic interaction of excitation light with nanometre-sized metal structures, which dramatically increases the quantum yield of fluorescent molecules in the immediate vicinity of the metal structures. This increase in light yield can be used to generate highly sensitive biomarker tests. Successful commercialization of clinical tests based on MEF depends on highly reproducible manufacturing of the required metal-nano structures and development of suitable bioassays for that platform. FIANOSTICS and Sony DADC BioSciences have developed such a new MEF platform and bioassays for clinical research which are compatible to any given assay format (e.g. microtiter plate, microfluidic chips, arrays or lateral flow devices etc.) using Sony DADC’s established industrial processes.

“The new platform uses polymer based substrates which are microstructured and coated with metal layers using well established technologies. This guarantees the high degree of reproducibility and surface uniformity necessary for reliable assay results and allows competitive pricing of the MEF-substrates”, said Dr. Christoph Mauracher, Senior Vice President at Sony DADC BioSciences.

About FIANOSTICS

FIANOSTICS is dedicated to delivering cost effective, highly sensitive, easy to use, fluorescence based assays for clinical research on biomarkers, which are compatible to standard readout equipment widely available in laboratories around the world. Being convinced that these areas will particularly benefit from highly sensitive biomarker tests, FIANOSTICS will initially focus on diseases of the bone and cartilage metabolism (e.g. osteoporosis) and on neurological diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s) in a later stage.

About Sony DADC BioSciences

Building on Sony DADC’s experience in high-precision optical disc manufacturing, Sony DADC’s BioSciences division partners with Life Sciences and Diagnostics companies enabling the industrial manufacturing of smart polymer parts. Sony DADC’s global set-up comprises production sites, distribution hubs, digital & service facilities in 19 countries worldwide, including Japan, the US and Europe.

For more information please visit http://biosciences.sonydadc.com

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Contact:

Sony DADC BioSciences:
Ricarda Pichler
+43 6246 880 8142
Email Contact
or
FIANOSTICS GmbH:
Gerhard Hawa
+ 43 2622 27514
Email Contact