Flogen is Far East Bio-Tec's (Febico) dedicated brand for phycobiliprotein and fluorescent protein products, backed by over 50 years of in-house microalgae cultivation expertise. Working in partnership with the Flogen team, who bring more than 20 years of experience supplying global IVD brands, we deliver APC at true commercial scale, with each batch capable of producing up to 100g of purified APC. By integrating cultivation, harvesting, extraction, and purification within a unified production system, we maintain strict control over raw material quality and batch consistency, ensuring reliable APC performance in fluorescence-based applications including flow cytometry, ELISA, immunofluorescence, and advanced diagnostic assays.
Why Spirulina is an ideal source of Allophycocyanin (APC)
Spirulina is a cyanobacterium naturally rich in phycobiliproteins, particularly C-phycocyanin (C-PC) and allophycocyanin (APC), which function as light-harvesting proteins in photosynthesis. Among these pigments, APC is highly valued for fluorescence applications due to its exceptional optical properties.| High fluorescence intensity | Large Stokes shift | Excellent signal-to-noise | Multicolor compatibility |
These characteristics make APC widely used in antibody conjugates for flow cytometry and immunoassays, where sensitivity and signal clarity are critical. However, APC performance is highly dependent on biomass quality and purification control. Variability during cultivation or processing can directly affect fluorescence intensity, purity, and conjugation performance.
Controlled In-House Cultivation
Unlike outsourced biomass sourcing, Febico's in-house cultivation system allows full control over critical growth parameters that influence phycobiliprotein quality and yield.By carefully controlling cultivation conditions and harvest timing, we maximize APC yield while minimizing degradation and unwanted pigment contamination, supporting consistent fluorescence performance and improved lot-to-lot reproducibility.
The following parameters are carefully monitored throughout each cultivation cycle to ensure optimal phycobiliprotein yield and consistency:
- Optimized nutrient composition
- Light intensity & photoperiod management
- Temperature stability
- Contamination prevention
- Harvest timing at peak protein expression
APC Extraction & Purification Workflow
Following harvest, Spirulina biomass undergoes a multi-step purification process designed to preserve fluorescence integrity and achieve high analytical purity.1. Cell Disruption & Protein Extraction
Controlled mechanical and buffer-assisted extraction methods release soluble phycobiliproteins while minimizing protein denaturation.2. Differential Separation & Purification
APC is separated from other pigments, including C-phycocyanin, through a combination of precipitation and chromatographic purification techniques based on charge and molecular interaction differences.| Ammonium sulfate fractionation | Ion-exchange chromatography | Low-temperature buffer systems |
3. Final Refinement & Quality Stabilization
Final polishing steps remove residual impurities, aggregates, and trace proteins to ensure consistency for sensitive research and diagnostic applications.Quality Control for Fluorescence Applications
Each APC batch undergoes rigorous quality evaluation to ensure suitability for high-performance bioassays. High-purity APC is essential for minimizing background fluorescence and maintaining clear signal separation in multicolor assays.| SPECTRAL INTEGRITY Excitation & emission profiles verified per batch |
PURITY RATIO A₆₅₂ / A₂₈₀ measurement |
| APPLICATION TESTING Validated in flow cytometry & ELISA |
FLUORESCENCE STABILITY Intensity consistency over time |
| CONJUGATION EFFICIENCY Antibody coupling performance tested |
Advantages of Vertically Integrated APC Production
For fluorescence-based technologies, reagent consistency is critical to assay reliability. By controlling the entire production pipeline, from Spirulina cultivation to APC purification, Febico delivers stable performance across all major fluorescence platforms.
- Stable fluorescence performance
- Reduced batch-to-batch variation
- Improved conjugation reproducibility
- Enhanced signal consistency in analytical assays
Large-Scale Manufacturing & Dedicated Support
Choosing the right APC supplier means more than sourcing a reagent: it means partnering with a team that has the depth of expertise, production capacity, and commitment to help your assay development succeed..png)
