Biosearch Technologies

Infobox Company
name = Biosearch
company_
type = Private
foundation = 1993
location = Novato, California
key_people = Ronald Cook, Ph.D Founder and CEO
industry = Biotechnology
slogan = Advancing Nucleic Technology
homepage = [http://www.biosearchtech.com Biosearchtech.com]

Biosearch Technologies, Inc. is a closely held biotechnology company based in Novato, California. This company specializes in custom synthesized oligonucleotides and DNA synthesis products.

Products & Services

Black Hole Quencher

In 2000, Biosearch Technologies developed a dark quencher known as the Black Hole Quencher, which has become an industry standard product and is currently licensed out to a number of other biotechnology companies. The series of Black Hole Quencher dyes has its share of advantageous qualities because it has no native fluorescence, high signal-to-noise ratios, and has exceptional coupling efficiency [Glen Research - Black Hole Quencher Webpage] . They are able to quench the entire visible spectrum and near IR spectrum, allowing end users to select from a broader range of fluorogenic reporter dyes, which makes the Black Hole Quenchers ideal for multiplexing assays [Sigma Aldrich - Black Hole Quencher Webpage] .

Fluorogenic Probes and Primers

The research team at Biosearch Technologies also developed other fluorescent dyes such as the CAL Fluor, Quasar, and Pulsar series of dyes, which emit fluorescence from 500-700 nanometers. Equipped with the various technology in fluorescent dyes and quenchers, much of Biosearch Technologies' business comes from the design and manufacture of custom probes and primers, which are commonly used for genomic applications such as real-time, quantitative PCR and SNP genotyping.

Design Service - RealTimeDesign

Biosearch Technologies also offers a free, web-based design service known as RealTimeDesign (RTD) equipped with comprehensive algorithms that allows the software to model and propose quantitative PCR and SNP genotyping assays. RealTimeDesign is meant to help scientists craft custom oligonucleotides averaging 99% in amplification efficiency through a series of different features offered by the software. Some of those features include a direct link to NCBI and BLAST databases as well as a selection of user-modifiable parameters [Genetic Engineering News - RealTimeDesign] .

History

Founding

Although Biosearch Technologies was founded in 1993, its roots can be traced back to 1979 when it was preceded by its first company, Biosearch, Inc., incorporated by Dr. Ronald Cook. Biosearch, Inc. experienced 9 years of DNA synthesis instrumentation and chemistry by playing a key role in engineering and manufacturing one of the first automated solid-phase DNA synthesis instruments, the SAM I. As time progressed, Biosearch was also able to bring other DNA synthesizers to market such as the Biosearch 8700, Biosearch 8800 Prep, and the Cyclone.

Mergers and Acquisitions

In 1987, Biosearch was acquired by New Brunswick Scientific [New Brunswick Scientific's Company History on Answers.com] who later sold the Biosearch unit to Millipore Corporation in 1988. [Millipore Corporation's Company History on Answers.com] By 1989, Biosearch was renamed Milligen-Biosearch. Due to the loss of several corporate officers, Milligen-Biosearch was subsequently acquired by PerSeptive Biosystems which in turn was acquired by Applied Biosystems who eventually retired the Biosearch name and products.

After taking a short hiatus, Dr. Cook decided to return to the oligonucleotide industry and founded what is currently known as Biosearch Technologies, Inc. [The Biosearch Story on Biosearchtech.com]

Recognition in PCR research

When Kary Mullis received the Nobel Prize in 1993 and gave his Nobel Lecture concerning his invention of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, he gratefully acknowledged Biosearch and Dr. Cook's role in providing him one of the first SAM I DNA synthesizers which was used in support of Kary Mullis' PCR research [Kary B. Mullis' Nobel Lecture, December 8, 1993] .

References

* [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1993/mullis-lecture.html Kary B. Mullis' Nobel Lecture, December 8, 1993]
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/millipore-corporation?cat=biz-fin Millipore Corporation's Company History on Answers.com]
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/new-brunswick-scientific-company-inc?cat=biz-fin New Brunswick Scientific's Company History on Answers.com]
* [http://www.biosearchtech.com/company/default.asp The Biosearch Story on Biosearchtech.com]
* [http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/Brands/Sigma_Genosys/DNA_Probes/Product_Lines/LNA_Probes/Black_Hole_Quenchers.html Sigma Aldrich - Black Hole Quencher Webpage]
* [http://www.glenres.com/GlenReports/GR17-14.html Glen Research - Black Hole Quencher Webpage]
* [http://www.genengnews.com/articles/chitem.aspx?aid=1902 Genetic Engineering News - PCR Applications Continue to Expand, October 1, 2006]

External links

* [http://www.biosearchtech.com Biosearch Technologies' Website]
* [http://www.qpcrdesign.com RealTimeDesign: Online Design Service for qPCR and SNP Genotyping Assays]
* [http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=Biosearch+Technologies&FIELD1=ASNM&co1=AND&TERM2=&FIELD2=&d=PTXT Patents assigned to Biosearch Technologies by the United States Patent and Trademark Office]
* [http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/104/21/8989 Ontario Cancer Institute's use of Biosearch Technologies' Products]
* [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1868304 University of Texas Medical Branch's use of Probes Labeled with Black Hole Quencher]