About the twinkle factory
Our AmbitionWhy we’ve decided to gather up in order to invent and provide efficient tools to observe processes that were, so far, invisible.
IN A FEW WORDS
The Twinkle project
Seeing cellular mechanisms is the first step towards understanding the inner workings of living systems. But, despite dramatic advances in biological imaging and probe design, many relevant biological molecules and processes remain invisible. Therefore, we, at The Twinkle Factory, invent new ways of observing biomolecules and cellular event. We indeed provide efficient tools to observe previously invisible processes in order to address issues ranging from fundamental mechanisms to causes of disease and the development of new therapies. Discover the science behind the project
Our start-up was born from the ambition of Arnaud Gautier, Ludovic Jullien and Franck Perez, three top-notch scientists from ENS-PSL, the Institut Curie and Sorbonne University, to help others accelerate their research. Read more about us
The Twinkle Factory provides transformative chemical-genetic tools for various applications in biological imaging. These tools are based on the instantaneous formation of a fluorescent molecular assembly between the FAST protein or its derivatives and fluorogenic ligands (TFFluorogens). The latter are dark in water and fluoresce only when bound to FAST, allowing specific detection by fluorimetry or optical microscopy. Know more about our products
We are currently involved in more developments dealing with bioimaging. We are continuously eager to deliver innovative tools enabling end-users to address unprecedented questions. Our goal is to meet a wide range of needs: protein & cell labeling, tunable colors, labeling under anaerobic conditions, cellular dynamics, protein-protein interactions, sensors… Go to the Applications page
Key dates
2016
Publication of the seminal article about FAST in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
2017
Creation of The Twinkle Factory. Publications about FAST and its extensions in international journals.
2019
First users of the FAST technology start to sprout in the USA, in India, in Germany, in the UK, in Singapore.
Funding
Our Partners
The development of The Twinkle Factory was supported by the University PSL, a shareholder, and the Région Ile-de-France, through an INNOV’up subsidy.
