Combining the biological power of traditional bioassays with the speed and polish of synthetic biology, InsituGen has developed FirstFlagX, a powerful new tool for the detection of androgenic or estrogenic bioactivity.

FirstFlagX revolutionises the detection of anonymous or established androgenic or estrogenic compounds, permitting the screening of more samples in a range of diverse matrices across the sports doping, health and wellbeing, supplement, and environmental safety industries.

Current anti-doping analysis or hormonal profiling rely on the use of chemical techniques to detect compounds of interest through a database of referenced chemical structures. Whilst analytical chemistry is effective at detecting a range of profiled compounds, it is unable to identify the novel molecular architecture of the emerging range of designer androgens prevalent in the sports-doping and supplement industries, in addition to xenoestrogens and xenoandrogens that leach from microplastics, or phytoestrogens and androgens emerging as potent environmental hazards.

Biological techniques, such as transcriptional activation bioassays or reporter gene cellular bioassays, are able to detect the presence of androgens by exploiting steroid biology. Using these techniques, any activation of androgenic pathways can be detected, regardless of the chemical anonymity or molecular fingerprint of the compound. These cell-based bioassays are often laborious, low throughput, time-consuming, and rely heavily on specialised equipment and personnel.

Combining these biological techniques with the speed and polish of synthetic biology, InsituGen has developed a range of assays capable of detecting anonymous or established androgens and estrogens. .

FirstFlagX is InsituGen’s rapid, cell-free assay that is sensitive, easy to use, and able to effectively screen a range of matrices, including biological samples (plasma, serum, and urine), extracts of sports and health supplement, and environmental samples contaminated with hormonal pollutants.

As a first-pass tool to detect global androgenic or estrogenic bioactivity, FirstFlagX revolutionises the detection of established and novel compounds across the sports doping, health and wellbeing, supplement, and environmental safety industries.