24 Diagnostic Applications of Phycobiliproteins
605
Table 24.10 (continued)
Country/union and database
Patent numbers
Indian Patent Advanced Search System (InPASS) IN 201717043828, IN 201817038711, IN
201847009727, IN 1282/KOL/2014, IN
5201/CHENP/2008, IN 6024/DELNP/2011, IN
6819/DELNP/2013
Abbreviations: CN—CNIPA database, China; (E)—Espacenet database, European Patent Office; IN—
InPASS database, India; KR—KIPRIS database, Korea; US—USPTO database, United States of America
Patent numbers represent application numbers except numbers with prefix “CN” and suffix “(E)” that denote
publication numbers. Except Espacenet, numbers alone (without prefix alphabets) have to be entered in the
suitable search field of the corresponding country’s database. Such prefix alphabets are meant for identifying
the database. In Espacenet alone (tagged with “(E)” as suffix of numbers), given alphabetic prefix along with
the publication numbers have to be fed to access patent details
Nucleic acid probes (molecular beacons)
Nucleic acid probes recognize and base pair with complementary nucleic acid
targets. They undergo fluorogenic conformational changes upon pairing with targets.
It specifically pairs with perfect complementary targets but not with mismatched
nucleotides. These are called as “molecular beacons” and denote fluorescencequenched nucleic acid probes. They emit fluorescent signal upon hybridization with
target molecules. They have dual label—one with reporter fluorophore at one end and
a dark quencher at the opposite end of the probe. In such kind of molecular beacons,
phycoerythrin, allophycocyanin, and phycocyanin were employed as fluorophores
(Bao et al. 2006).
A variety of diagnostic kits have been designed exploiting products of PBPs.
They were based on the excitation and emission properties of PBPs. The presence of a variety of PBPs enabled multi-color and multiplex detection system in
the form of microarrays. The pigments in the diagnostic kits and products were of
various forms such as micro beads, magnetic beads, micro fluidic channel, RT-PCR
system, DNA array, Aptamer based kit, biochips, liquid chips, suspension chip, multiplex liquid array system, streptavidin conjugates, conjugate with antibodies, fusion
protein, activated PE, molecular beacons (detection of nucleic acid sequences), etc.
24.3 Commercial Trends
Globally, numerous companies are marketing products of phycobiliproteins that can
be directly or indirectly used for diagnostic purposes (Table 24.11) but solely as
fluorescent detection agents. A search would reveal the complexity of various products developed based on the forms of phycobiliproteins. The details presented in
the table are only indicative in terms of the range of companies but not comprehensive. The quantum of PBP products also runs to few thousand in many companies which are mostly USA in origin. Similarly, a vast array of PBP products
605
Table 24.10 (continued)
Country/union and database
Patent numbers
Indian Patent Advanced Search System (InPASS) IN 201717043828, IN 201817038711, IN
201847009727, IN 1282/KOL/2014, IN
5201/CHENP/2008, IN 6024/DELNP/2011, IN
6819/DELNP/2013
Abbreviations: CN—CNIPA database, China; (E)—Espacenet database, European Patent Office; IN—
InPASS database, India; KR—KIPRIS database, Korea; US—USPTO database, United States of America
Patent numbers represent application numbers except numbers with prefix “CN” and suffix “(E)” that denote
publication numbers. Except Espacenet, numbers alone (without prefix alphabets) have to be entered in the
suitable search field of the corresponding country’s database. Such prefix alphabets are meant for identifying
the database. In Espacenet alone (tagged with “(E)” as suffix of numbers), given alphabetic prefix along with
the publication numbers have to be fed to access patent details
Nucleic acid probes (molecular beacons)
Nucleic acid probes recognize and base pair with complementary nucleic acid
targets. They undergo fluorogenic conformational changes upon pairing with targets.
It specifically pairs with perfect complementary targets but not with mismatched
nucleotides. These are called as “molecular beacons” and denote fluorescencequenched nucleic acid probes. They emit fluorescent signal upon hybridization with
target molecules. They have dual label—one with reporter fluorophore at one end and
a dark quencher at the opposite end of the probe. In such kind of molecular beacons,
phycoerythrin, allophycocyanin, and phycocyanin were employed as fluorophores
(Bao et al. 2006).
A variety of diagnostic kits have been designed exploiting products of PBPs.
They were based on the excitation and emission properties of PBPs. The presence of a variety of PBPs enabled multi-color and multiplex detection system in
the form of microarrays. The pigments in the diagnostic kits and products were of
various forms such as micro beads, magnetic beads, micro fluidic channel, RT-PCR
system, DNA array, Aptamer based kit, biochips, liquid chips, suspension chip, multiplex liquid array system, streptavidin conjugates, conjugate with antibodies, fusion
protein, activated PE, molecular beacons (detection of nucleic acid sequences), etc.
24.3 Commercial Trends
Globally, numerous companies are marketing products of phycobiliproteins that can
be directly or indirectly used for diagnostic purposes (Table 24.11) but solely as
fluorescent detection agents. A search would reveal the complexity of various products developed based on the forms of phycobiliproteins. The details presented in
the table are only indicative in terms of the range of companies but not comprehensive. The quantum of PBP products also runs to few thousand in many companies which are mostly USA in origin. Similarly, a vast array of PBP products