TAMRA-PEG2-Maleimide | CAS 2304558-24-3

TAMRA-PEG2-Maleimide is a TAMRA-based fluorescent labeling reagent featuring a PEG2 spacer and a maleimide electrophile for efficient conjugation to thiol-containing biomolecules. The TAMRA fluorophore enables direct fluorescence readout in labeling workflows, while the maleimide handle is commonly used to install a bright dye tag onto cysteine- or thiol-functionalized targets for imaging, tracking, and assay development.

1. Protein Thiol Labeling

TAMRA-PEG2-Maleimide is widely used in protein bioconjugation workflows where cysteine thiols (native or introduced) provide a practical attachment point for fluorescent tagging. Researchers use it to generate TAMRA-labeled proteins for fluorescence microscopy, gel-based fluorescence imaging, and quantitative fluorescence assays, leveraging the PEG2 spacer to help reduce steric constraints between the protein surface and the dye. This reagent is especially useful when a stable, thiol-reactive labeling step is needed for downstream characterization of protein localization, binding, or interaction studies.

2. Peptide And Biomolecule Tagging

TAMRA-PEG2-Maleimide supports fluorescent labeling of peptides, peptide-based affinity reagents, and other thiol-bearing biomolecules used in chemical biology and molecular imaging. In practice, it is used to prepare fluorescent peptide conjugates for binding and uptake experiments, to create labeled standards for fluorescence readouts, and to visualize biomolecular constructs in assay formats that rely on TAMRA emission. The maleimide functionality allows straightforward installation of the TAMRA tag onto thiol-functionalized biomolecules, enabling consistent labeling for comparative studies across constructs.

3. Surface And Hydrogel Functionalization

TAMRA-PEG2-Maleimide is also used to introduce fluorescent labeling onto thiol-functionalized materials, including biomaterial surfaces and hydrogel systems that incorporate reactive thiol groups. In materials and interface studies, researchers employ the dye-conjugated reagent to create trackable surfaces for microscopy and fluorescence-based characterization of material distribution, coating uniformity, and biomolecule immobilization patterns. The PEG2 spacer helps maintain dye accessibility at the material interface, supporting robust visualization during imaging workflows.

4. Thiol-Functionalized Nanoparticle Labeling

TAMRA-PEG2-Maleimide is commonly applied to label thiol-functionalized nanoparticles and nanoparticle coatings for fluorescence tracking and characterization. Teams in analytical and bioconjugation research use the reagent to generate fluorescently tagged particles for microscopy and fluorescence measurements, supporting studies of particle dispersion, surface modification outcomes, and experimental handling in labeling pipelines. The maleimide group provides a convenient conjugation handle for attaching TAMRA to thiol-bearing nanoparticle ligands or surface chemistries.