Millipore has entered into a supply agreement with Quantum Dot Corporation (QDC) of Hayward, CA. Millipore's Immobilon-FL membranes, which offer greater sensitivity and improved protein detection with fluorescent reagents, now will be included in QDC's Qdot Western Blotting Kits.

These kits incorporate QDC's nanocrystal technology and are ideal for multiplexing applications, quantitative analysis and analyzing post-translational modifications. When utilized with Millipore's Immobilon-FL membrane optimized for fluorescence applications, the Qdot Kits provide sensitivity superior to traditional chemiluminescent detection chemistries without the need for film and darkroom, stated a company release.

"After evaluating competitive nitrocellulose and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) offerings, the Immobilon-FL membrane was the clear choice for superior detection results. The complementary technologies enable us to deliver the only fluorescence-based western blotting solution with sensitivity superior to traditional chemiluminescent methods and compatibility with all imagers," commented Jonathan DiVincenzo, vice president of R&D and marketing for Millipore's Bioscience Division.

Quantum Dot Corporation is a privately held bioscience company that pioneered the development and commercialization of Qdot nanocrystals for bio-detection in discovery and clinical applications. QDC's current products include life-science kits and applications used by academic and pharmaceutical-discovery laboratories worldwide. In addition, QDC recently launched its first integrated instrumentation, software, and bio-reagents platform, the Mosaic System, for rapid and quantitative multiplexed gene expression analysis. QDC collaborates with leading academic and industrial partners and has over 150 patents and patents-pending.