Virus Tracer Products
Neural circuit mapping relies heavily on tracers to delineate neuronal projections and connectivity. While traditional chemical tracers like horseradish peroxidase and dextran amine were foundational, their limitations—including non-specific labeling, inconsistent transsynaptic efficiency, and significant signal decay—restrict their utility. Viral tracers, leveraging genetic engineering, overcome these challenges, offering superior cell-type specificity, reduced toxicity, and robust transsynaptic transmission.
Viral tracers are indispensable tools across diverse neuroscience domains, from pain modulation and anxiety behavior studies to intricate neural circuit analysis. We offer a comprehensive suite of viral tracer products, encompassing anterograde, retrograde, and transsynaptic tracing capabilities.
Virus Type
Viral tracers are broadly classified by their synaptic transmission capability: transsynaptic and non-transsynaptic. Transsynaptic viruses (e.g., PRV, RV, CAV-2) propagate across synapses, enabling the mapping of interconnected neural networks. Conversely, non-transsynaptic viruses restrict infection to local neurons. Furthermore, tracers are categorized by their transport direction: anterograde and retrograde. Anterograde tracers (e.g., AAV, HSV) move along axons, tracing downstream projections, while retrograde tracers (e.g., retrograde AAV) travel along dendrites, revealing upstream connections.
Advantages of Viral Tracers
Our viral tracers offer distinct advantages for precise neural circuit mapping:
- Targeted Labeling: Gene editing enables precise labeling of specific neuronal populations, overcoming the limitations of traditional tracers.
- Synaptic Pathway Tracing: Modified transsynaptic viruses (e.g., PRV, RV) facilitate the mapping of intricate neural connections.
- Enhanced Safety: Virulence gene deletion, such as PRV envelope protein removal, significantly reduces toxicity, ensuring suitability for prolonged studies.
- Advanced Circuit Analysis: Innovative tracers, like three-level loop tracing, enable comprehensive multi-level neural circuit investigations.
Tracer Types
As a leading contract research organization (CRO), we offer comprehensive, customized viral tracer services tailored to diverse neuroscience research needs.
Please browse through our premade viruses list of viral tracers to find the right viral tracers for your experiment.
Virus tracers are highly efficient, non-toxic, and versatile to meet a variety of research needs. Please visit our website to learn more about our products and contact us for customized solutions.
Intellectual Property
Creative Biolabs is a contract manufacturer that produces tailored viruses and vectors according to client specifications. Importantly, this manufacturing service does not grant Creative Biolabs any intellectual property ownership; all designs and associated intellectual property rights remain exclusively with the customer.
Certain vector components may be subject to third-party intellectual property rights. Creative Biolabs offers publicly available sequence information for these components as a convenience for reference only. The customer assumes full responsibility and liability for the use of these components in their custom vectors. By purchasing vectors containing such components, the customer confirms they have secured all necessary intellectual property licenses, including the right to engage Creative Biolabs for manufacturing.



AAV2 Full Capsids
- Tracer Type:
- AAV Capsid
- Applications:
- Control


- Tracer Type:
- Anterograde tracing virus
- Applications:
- Neural Tracing

We offer a comprehensive suite of services encompassing vector design, virus packaging, and analysis and testing for adeno-associated virus (AAV) applications.
- Applications:
- AAV-PHP.S Packaging

We offer a comprehensive suite of services encompassing vector design, virus packaging, and analysis and testing for adeno-associated virus (AAV) applications.
- Applications:
- AAV9 Packaging

Detects the presence of Mycoplasma contamination, a common and problematic contaminant in cell cultures.
- Applications:
- Mycoplasma Test

Measures the level of endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides from bacterial cell walls), which can cause fever and other adverse reactions.
- Applications:
- Bacterial Endotoxin Test

Confirms the absence of viable microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) in the final AAV product.
- Applications:
- Sterility Test

Measures the size of AAV particles (Z-average diameter), their polydispersity index (PDI) which indicates the uniformity of particle size, and the presence of aggregates, all of which impact efficacy and safety.
- Applications:
- AAV Particle Size/PDI/Aggregation

Confirms the sequence integrity of the plasmid DNA used for AAV production.
- Applications:
- Plasmid Sequence Analysis (Third-Generation Sequencing)

Provides a comprehensive and high-resolution sequence of the AAV genome, confirming the correct gene insert and detecting any unintended mutations.
- Applications:
- AAV Genome Sequence Analysis (Third-Generation Sequencing)

Assesses the completeness and structural integrity of the AAV genome within the capsid. (Repeated three times, indicating its high importance.)
- Applications:
- AAV Genome Integrity

A crucial safety test to ensure the absence of replication-competent AAV, which could replicate in the patient and cause unwanted immune responses.
- Applications:
- Replication-Competent AAV (rcAAV) Testing

Measures the concentration of Poloxamer 188, a surfactant often used for AAV stability.
- Applications:
- Poloxamer 188 Content

Detects residual iodixanol, a common density gradient medium used in purification.
- Applications:
- Iodixanol Residue

Quantifies remaining Triton X-100, another common detergent.
- Applications:
- TritonX Residue

Quantifies remaining Tween20, a common detergent.
- Applications:
- Tween20 Residue

Detects residual amounts of transfection reagents (like PEI or pro/FECTO VIR) used to introduce DNA into cells during production.
- Applications:
- Transfection Reagent Residue (PEI pro/FECTO VIR)

Measures any trace amounts of ligands used in affinity chromatography purification steps.
- Applications:
- Affinity Ligand Residue

Checks for any remaining nucleases (enzymes that degrade nucleic acids), which could compromise gene therapy products.
- Applications:
- Nuclease Residue

Detects residual bovine serum albumin (BSA), often used in cell culture media.
- Applications:
- Bovine Serum Albumin Residue

Quantifies any remaining proteins from the producer cells.
- Applications:
- Host Cell Protein Residue

Detects residual E1A protein from the adenoviral helper plasmid, a common contaminant.
- Applications:
- Host Cell E1A Residue

Measures any residual plasmid DNA used during the AAV production process.
- Applications:
- Plasmid DNA Residue

Analyzes the size of remaining host cell DNA fragments, which is important for safety.
- Applications:
- 293 Host Cell DNA Fragment Size Distribution

Quantifies any remaining DNA from the HEK293 producer cells.
- Applications:
- 293 Host Cell DNA Residue

Determines the precise molecular weight of the intact capsid proteins and the stoichiometric ratio of VP1, VP2, and VP3, which is critical for proper capsid assembly and function.
- Applications:
- AAV Capsid Intact Molecular Weight & Protein Type Ratio Analysis

A detailed analysis that identifies and sequences peptides from the capsid proteins, confirming their identity, post-translational modifications, and structural integrity.
- Applications:
- AAV Capsid Peptide Mapping

Quantifies the purity level of the capsid proteins.
- Applications:
- Capsid Protein Purity

Identifies the specific viral capsid proteins (VP1, VP2, VP3) present and assesses their overall purity.
- Applications:
- Capsid Protein Identification & Purity

Specifically states the percentage or proportion of empty AAV capsids in the preparation.
- Applications:
- Empty Capsid Rate
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- iNeuMab™ Mouse Anti-LRP1 Monoclonal Antibody (CBP3363) (Cat#: NAB-0720-Z6479)
- Mouse Anti-SCN5A Monoclonal Antibody (CBP708) (Cat#: NAB-0720-Z2720)
- iNeuMab™ Rabbit Anti-LRRK2 Monoclonal Antibody (CBP1887) (Cat#: NAB-08-PZ735)
- iNeuMab™ Mouse Anti-SHANK3 Monoclonal Antibody (CBP929) (Cat#: NAB-0720-Z3477)
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- iNeuMab™ Mouse Anti-EFNB2 Monoclonal Antibody (CBP1159) (Cat#: NAB-0720-Z4396)
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- Rat Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (Cat#: NRZP-1122-ZP162)
- Green Fluorescent Tau cell Line (Cat#: NCL2110P219)
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- Mouse Glioma Cell Line GL261-GFP (Cat#: NCL-2108P04)
- Human GFAP ELISA Kit [Colorimetric] (Cat#: NPP2011ZP383)
- Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation Assay Kit (Cat#: NRZP-1122-ZP37)
- Human Tau Aggregation Kit (Cat#: NRP-0322-P2173)
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- Beta Amyloid (1-42), Aggregation Kit (Cat#: NRZP-0323-ZP200)
- Amyloid beta 1-42 Kit (Cat#: NRP-0322-P2170)
- Alpha Synuclein Aggregation Kit (Cat#: NRZP-1122-ZP15)
- AAV2 Full Capsids, Reference Standards (Cat#: NTC2101070CR)
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- Human superoxide dismutase 3, extracellular (SOD3) (NM_003102) ORF clone, Untagged (Cat#: NEP-0521-R0808)
- Human apolipoprotein E (APOE) (NM_000041) ORF clone, Untagged (Cat#: NEP-0421-R0232)
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- Human superoxide dismutase 1, soluble (SOD1) (NM_000454) ORF clone, TurboGFP Tagged (Cat#: NEP-0521-R0748)
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- NeuroBiologics™ Monkey Cerebrospinal Fluid (Cat#: NRZP-0822-ZP495)
- NeuroBiologics™ Human Cerebrospinal Fluid (Cat#: NRZP-0822-ZP491)
- NeuroBiologics™ Rat Cerebrospinal Fluid (Cat#: NRZP-0822-ZP496)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-idursulfase BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP497)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-TNFR BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP501)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-SGSH BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP505)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-GDNF BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP500)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-NAGLU BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP506)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-Erythropoietin BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP499)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-IDS BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP503)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-PON1 BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP507)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-GDNF BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP509)
- NeuroPro™ Anti-TNFR BBB Shuttle Protein (Cat#: NRZP-0423-ZP510)