Can academic and corporate research labs purchase this kit through standard contract distributors?

Yes. Procurement departments can order the Instanosis Box of 25 strips using the specific product SKU through direct institutional purchase agreements or via established scientific distribution channels like Fisher Scientific and Avantor/VWR.

XpressCheck V5 Tag Test Strip

Product Overview

The Instanosis XpressCheck V5-Tag Test Strip is a patent-pending, rapid, high-affinity lateral flow qualitative dipstick engineered for the immediate verification of V5-tagged recombinant fusion proteins. Designed to completely bypass the multi-hour workflow bottlenecks of traditional anti-V5 Western blotting, immunoprecipitation tracking, or colorimetric ELISAs, this protocol-ready strip confirms expression and maps target presence from micro-volume samples in under 3 minutes. Manufactured in the USA to rigorous quality standards, it provides a highly precise, instrument-free verification solution for core facilities, expression screening labs, and biopharmaceutical researchers evaluating protein synthesis or chromatography elution fractions at the bench.

Technical Specifications & Key Data

This specialized lateral flow verification dipstick is optimized to deliver high-efficiency analytical feedback across automated or manual protein expression and purification workflows:

Target Analyte: Recombinant fusion proteins expressing the classic V5 epitope tag derived from the paramyxovirus SV5 (GKPIPNPLLGLDST peptide sequence).
Assay Format: Lateral flow dipstick.
Analytical Sensitivity Threshold: The detection limit of the strip is about 0.2 µM, corresponding to 10 µg/mL for a protein with a molecular weight of 50 kDa.
Micro-Volume Sample Consumption: Preserves precious recombinant proteins, using a fraction of the sample volume required for traditional Western blots.
Rapid Development Time: Qualitative visual lines stabilize completely within 3 minutes.
Product Classification: For Laboratory Research Use Only (RUO). Not for use in clinical diagnostic procedures.

Research & Protein Purification Significance

In modern structural biology, therapeutic protein engineering, and academic core facilities, identifying target protein expression levels in real-time is crucial to avoiding downstream purification failures.

Elimination of the Western Blot Bottleneck: Traditional SDS-PAGE, transfer, blocking, and antibody incubation steps consume up to a full working day. The XpressCheck strip provides a visual “go/no-go” signal in minutes, speeding up transfection trials and expression optimization.
Chromatography Fraction Tracking: Rather than blindly pooling fractions from affinity or size-exclusion chromatography columns, researchers can dip a strip into fractions to pinpoint exactly where the target V5-tagged protein is eluting, optimizing protein concentrations before downstream analysis.
Crude Lysate Compatibility: The engineered lateral flow matrix tolerates complex cellular environments, allowing operators to verify protein presence directly within crude E. coli lysates, mammalian cell supernatants, or insect cell media without clarifying or purifying the sample first. It is also compatible with samples in water or different buffers such as PBS, Tris, or HEPES etc.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What specific tag does the XpressCheck Test Strip detect?

A: This rapid assay specifically targets the classic V5 epitope tag containing the 14-amino-acid peptide sequence (GKPIPNPLLGLDST) derived from the P and V proteins of the simian virus 5 (SV5), detecting it at either the N-terminus, C-terminus, or internal configurations.

Q2: What is the exact analytical sensitivity limit for this dipstick?

A: The XpressCheck V5-Tag strip features a detection limit of about 0.2 µM, corresponding to 10 µg/mL for a protein with a molecular weight of 50 kDa.

Q3: Can this test strip completely replace a Western blot?

A: For qualitative screening, expression confirmation, and tracking column elution fractions, yes. It provides a visual “yes/no” answer in minutes instead of hours. However, traditional Western blotting or mass spectrometry should still be used if you require molecular weight validation or exact quantitative data.

Q4: Is it necessary to clarify or purify crude cell lysates before running the test?

A: No. The test strip is specifically formulated to interact directly with crude cell lysates, clarified lysates, or raw cell culture supernatants (with or without FBS), eliminating the need for complex sample prep or centrifugation before testing.

Q5: Is the XpressCheck V5-Tag Test Strip cleared for human diagnostic screening?

A: No. This product is strictly classified for Laboratory Research Use Only (RUO). It is engineered for protein expression monitoring, bioprocess optimization, and recombinant engineering validation, and is not intended for patient diagnostic use.