Nanostring Technologies, Inc. (Seattle, WA) and Institute For Systems Biology (Seattle, WA) are seeking a patent for compositions and methods for detection and quantification of individual target molecules in biomolecular samples. In particular, company and institute scientists developed coded, labeled nanoprobes that are capable of binding to and identifying target molecules based on the probes' label codes. Methods of making and using such probes are described in U.S. Patent 20100015607. The probes can be used in diagnostic, prognostic, quality control and screening applications.
Inventors Gary K. Geiss, Sean M Ferree, Philippa J. Webster and Krassen M Dimitrov devised methods for fabricating a diverse population of uniquely-labeled molecules, preferably synthetic molecules, referred to as nanoreporters. The nanoreporters can be used for the detection, identification, and direct quantification of a wide variety of target molecules. The methods are advantageous in that they generate large numbers of distinctly labeled reporter molecules, each capable of detecting a single target molecule, starting from just a small number of different types of label monomers. The nanoreporters are dual probe molecules.
The first probe is a complex comprising: (a) a first molecule, or a scaffold, comprising: (i) a first label attachment region to which are attached (directly or indirectly) one or more label monomers that emit light constituting a first signal; (ii) a second label attachment region, which is non-overlapping with the first label attachment region, to which are attached (directly or indirectly) one or more label monomers that emit light constituting a second signal; and (b) a first target-specific sequence attached to the first molecule.
The second probe is a second molecule or a complex comprising a second molecule. The second molecule comprises (i) a second target-specific sequence; (ii) optionally, a third label attachment region to which are attached (directly or indirectly) one or more label monomers that emit light constituting a third signal; and (iii) optionally, an affinity tag attached to said second molecule; wherein the first target-specific sequence and the second target-specific sequence bind to different regions of the same target molecule and wherein the probe pair is bound to its target molecule, the identity of the first and second signals and their locations relative to each other constitutes at least part of a code that identifies the target molecule.
With a dual nanoreporter, or a "probe pair," the first probe is a target-specific sequence and the second probe is also a target-specific sequence. The pair bind to different regions of the same target molecule and when the probe pair is bound to its target molecule, the identity of the first and second signals and their locations relative to each other constitutes at least part of a code that identifies the target molecule.
In June 2009, NanoString Technologies, a privately held life sciences company advancing best-in-class technologies for expression profiling, announced that it has closed a $30 million Series C equity financing. This financing, structured in two tranches, will allow NanoString Technologies to accelerate the commercialization of the nCounter™ Analysis System in the research tools and diagnostics arenas.
