The Biocolor story

Who we are, where we came from and where we are going!

1990's
Our Beginning

Biocolor’s story began in the early 1990's, with Dr Roy Elliott, an academic researcher at Queens University Belfast. Dr Elliott had an interest in collagens within connective tissue, but found himself becoming frustrated with existing, time-consuming, chemically hazardous methods of collagen measurement.

This became his motivation to develop a user-friendly, quantitative collagen assay kit that could be performed within 1-hour. A kit that he would want to use himself.

Biocolor and the Sircol assay was born!

Over the years the Sircol assay has become a ‘go–to’ name for collagen measurement. The assay has been continually refined and updated, making it well suited to its current role as a tool for collagen analysis in the fast-growing field of bioengineering.

Queens University Belfast
Some of Biocolor's original assay kit manuals from the 1990's
2000-2010
Developing our ethos

Dr Elliott’s original aims while developing Sircol were that it must of course be quantitative, but also as reliable and user-friendly as possible.

Quantitative, User-friendly, Reliable. We aim to make products we would be happy to use ourselves.

This has become Biocolor's guiding principle or ethos and informs the development of every of our products.

Over the years our ethos has found expression in the development of a wider range of ECM assays, as well as in the development of our cell-based assay for measurement of apoptosis in adherent cells.

2010-2020
Biocolor today

In 2018-19 Biocolor suffered a double loss as managing directors - Dr Roy Elliott and Mr Gary Elliott passed away within a year of each other. A new management team was formed, consisting of Dr David Steele (Managing Director) and Mr David Elliott (Director).

This team has a background in working with both industry and academia in local and international product development projects, as well as a strong track record in business development.

Biocolor Assays building
Biocolor Ltd employee
Dr David Steele
Managing Director - Biocolor Ltd
2020 - onwards
Looking to the future

Both Roy and Gary Elliott left a legacy of innovative assay kits that have supported the research of many researchers and institutions around the world.

The Biocolor story continues with an exciting range of future products being worked on by our in-house product development team.

Our aim, as ever, is to develop innovative, user-friendly assays that will continue the Biocolor story that started back in 1992.