NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
Investigating protein interactions
Published work using VICA™ to examine transport and regulation in blood.
Compare candidate
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.
3assay formatsSOLID-PHASE · SOLUTION-PHASE
280 Dasmallest molecule reportedDETECTION
50 fmol/mm²surface amountLABEL-FREE
0.5 nMKD, mAb-AANONYMIZED EXAMPLE DATA
3peer-reviewed papersnpj · NATURE COMMS · MOL PHARM
3assay formatsSOLID-PHASE · SOLUTION-PHASE
280 Dasmallest molecule reportedDETECTION
50 fmol/mm²surface amountLABEL-FREE
0.5 nMKD, mAb-AANONYMIZED EXAMPLE DATA
3peer-reviewed papersnpj · NATURE COMMS · MOL PHARM
How VICA™ works
See what binds, then how it behaves
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).
01Compare experiments on the same slide
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.
02Follow successive binding steps
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.
03Test under relevant conditions
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.
04Consider research beyond the laboratory
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.
Where VICA™ fits
Compare candidates before further characterization
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.
Deliverables, sample requirements, timing and price are defined in the study proposal, before the work begins.
Sample conditions
Test under the conditions your research involves
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.
3
Assay formats — solid-phase direct, solid-phase sandwich and solution-phase
280 Da
Smallest molecule Pavonis reports detecting
50 fmol/mm²
Surface amount, label-free detection
SAMPLE MEDIAASSESSED PER TARGET
Laboratory bufferControlled ionic strength
ASSESSED
Serum / plasmaBackground reviewed per target
ASSESSED
Environmental matrixField-research samples
CASE-BY-CASE
Verticals served
Find the study approach for your research
VICA™ is used across discovery, designed-candidate programs, field research and fee-for-service work. The measurement stays the same; the study design follows the question.
Biopharma & Biotechnology
Discovery · DevelopabilityCompare candidate binding before more extensive characterization. Use VICA™ to gather interaction evidence earlier in the program.
Candidate screenSpecificityKinetics
AI-driven discovery
Computational design teamsGenerate physical binding evidence for designed candidates so the next design cycle is informed by measured interaction, not prediction alone.
Designed candidatesShortlistNext design cycle
Life Sciences Research
Environmental · Agricultural · VeterinaryInvestigate target presence, quantity or interactions in biological and environmental samples, or measure them where the research is happening.
Field researchEnvironmental samplesQuantification
CROs
Fee-for-service studiesAdd early interaction evidence to client projects through scoped studies. Pavonis performs the VICA™ work alongside your established assays and methods.
Client programsScoped reportingSample handoff
Academic & Government Research
Investigators · Core facilitiesInvestigate binding in the conditions your research involves, from laboratory buffer to environmental samples. Discuss service access or a setup for field research.
Service studyAccess in your labField setting
Evidence
See VICA™'s contribution to research and discovery
FIELD RESEARCH
Binding evidence beyond the laboratory
A completed commercial-feedlot project investigated a portable VICA™ prototype.
npj BIOSENSING
A quantitative, label-free platform
Peer-reviewed description of the visual interference colour assay.
Selected partners, funders and publication venues
CIHR
MolScreen
9Bio
AvantGen
Nature Communications
npj Biosensing
CIHR
MolScreen
9Bio
AvantGen
Nature Communications
npj Biosensing
The opportunity
Invest in wider access to binding analysis
Pavonis Diagnostics 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
Discuss your study with Pavonis
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.
01
Tell us about your research
Describe your research question, the samples you’re working with and the conditions you want to investigate.
02
Plan the work with our team
We’ll agree on the measurements, sample requirements, timing and cost before work begins.
03
Run testing with us or in your lab
Commission a study from Pavonis, or discuss developing a suitable test and purchasing a VICA™ reader and assay kits for your own lab.
Discuss your next binding study
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.
News
Company and research updates
DATE TBC
VICA™ installed at MolScreen
Research installation
DATE TBC
Completed cattle-health research in a commercial feedlot
Field research
2025
Apolipoprotein A1 transports and regulates MMP2 in the blood
Nature Communications
2024
A quantitative, label-free visual interference colour assay platform
npj Biosensing
2024
First-generation radiolabeled cyclic peptides for imaging PDGFRα
Molecular Pharmaceutics
Item selection and dates are still being finalized; publication years are as published.