Pavonis Diagnostics — VICA™ platform
Study biomolecular interactions under the conditions that matter to your research with VICA™, Pavonis’s label-free binding platform. Have our team run a study for you, or work with us to develop a suitable test and purchase a VICA™ reader and assay kits for use in your own lab.
How VICA™ works
VICA™ makes binding visible through colour changes on an assay slide. As molecules bind to the colour-active surface, they change how it reflects light, and the VICA™ Lightbox reads that change by eye or camera.
The assay determines what you can learn from that result. With small samples and a choice of formats, Pavonis can design studies to assess binding, specificity, binding affinity (KD) or association and dissociation rates (kon and koff).
VICA™ supports multiple experiments on one slide, with reuse for suitable assays. Running comparisons on the same surface supports consistent, direct analysis of how different molecules and conditions influence binding.
Multiple experiments · Slide reuse · One surface
Add proteins in sequence and observe the changing layers, so you can assess what has bound before the next addition. VICAlign™ supports oriented capture on the surface.
Sequential addition · Oriented capture · VICAlign™
Compare behaviour in the sample media your research involves. The suitable preparation and measurements depend on the assay and matrix, which Pavonis reviews before proposing the study.
Matrix comparison | pH · ionic strength | Small volumes
The compact optical readout supports portable research setups, so selected assays can be taken to where the samples are collected.
In a completed commercial-feedlot project, veterinarian Dr. Michael Jelinski worked with Pavonis researchers to investigate a VICA™ prototype for measuring haptoglobin, a marker associated with bovine respiratory disease.
Portable reader · Field research · Local use
Where VICA™ fits
A binding study can help narrow the candidates you take into more extensive characterization. This is one way to use VICA™ within discovery; the methods and order depend on the question your team needs to answer.
Identify the candidates and binding question you want to investigate.
Pavonis tests physical samples using the agreed assay and conditions, providing binding evidence for comparison.
Use the results alongside your other evidence to decide which candidates merit more work.
Including SPR or BLI — investigate the shortlisted candidates in greater depth with methods suited to the remaining questions.
Sample conditions
Compare behaviour in the sample media your research involves. Whether an assay is suitable depends on the target and matrix together, so Pavonis reviews preparation, background signal and controls before proposing the measurement.
The detection figures describe different measurements from separate sources. Performance depends on assay format and sample matrix.
Verticals served
From comparing discovery candidates to measuring a target in water or a biological sample, research teams need different forms of interaction data.
When material is scarce or a program has stalled, compare candidate binding, specificity and kinetics to guide the next round of characterization.
Bring experimental binding evidence into the next design round. Test AI-designed peptides, proteins and antibodies to help choose which candidates move forward.
Investigate target presence, quantity or interactions in biological and environmental samples, or measure them where the research is happening.
Add early interaction evidence to client projects through scoped studies. Pavonis performs the VICA™ work alongside your established assays and methods.
Investigate binding in the conditions your research involves, from laboratory buffer to environmental samples. Discuss service access or a setup for field research.
Published research and customer work
Researchers used VICA™ alongside other methods to examine binding between apolipoprotein A1 and matrix metalloproteinase-2. The study shows how VICA™ binding measurements contributed to a broader investigation of how these proteins interact.
9Bio needed experimental measurements to inform its AI-driven antibody optimization. Pavonis provided binding validation, pH testing and kinetics, reducing equipment and training barriers.
FEATURED PROJECTS
Protein production & quality control
Immunoassay teaching & research
University of Alberta · Intestinal ischemia research
VICA kits for teaching and research using immunoassays
Research and diagnostics kits for rapid assessment of intestinal ischemia
SUPPORTED BY · PUBLISHED IN · WORKING WITH
The opportunity
Research teams can have promising questions without the equipment, specialist operators or budget needed to investigate them. Pavonis is building its business around making binding analysis accessible to more of those teams, starting with paid pilot and service studies.
Our Edmonton-based team brings together scientific research, thin-film manufacturing and technology commercialization. Published research and customer work demonstrate how VICA™ is being used today. Assay kits and further product development are intended to support continued use as the business grows.
Get in touch
Whether you need us to run a binding study or want to bring testing into your own lab, tell us what you want to measure. We’ll work with you to determine how VICA™ could fit your research.
Describe your research question, the samples you’re working with and the conditions you want to investigate.
We’ll agree on the measurements, sample requirements, timing and cost before work begins.
Commission a study from Pavonis, or discuss developing a suitable test and purchasing a VICA™ reader and assay kits for your own lab.
Compare candidate binding, investigate specificity or measure how interactions change across sample conditions. Tell us what you need to establish, and we’ll assess how VICA™ can support your research.
We’ll propose a study with defined measurements, sample requirements, timing and cost, so you can decide whether it fits your next stage of work. Pavonis carries out the experiments and provides the agreed measurements and analysis.
We’ll agree on confidentiality and sample handling before you share proprietary information or send samples.
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