About Biocolor
The Biocolor story
Thirty years of making extracellular matrix measurement simpler - one researcher's frustration with collagen analysis has led to a company whose kits are cited in laboratories worldwide!
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 kit he would personally want to use - a user-friendly, quantitative collagen assay kit that could be performed within 1-hour.
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 'go-to' tool for collagen analysis in the fast-growing field of bioengineering.
Developing our ethos
Dr Elliott’s original aims while developing Sircol were that it must 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 cellular apoptosis.
The end of an era, and the beginning of a new one
In 2018-19 Biocolor suffered a double loss as managing directors - Dr Roy Elliott and Mr Gary Elliott passed away. They left a legacy of innovative assay kits that have supported the research of many researchers and institutions around the world.
To ensure this legacy continues, the owners of Biocolor established a new management team, initially led by Dr David Steele (Managing Director) and Mr David Elliott (Director). Together they brought a combined expertise in industry-academia collaborations, international product development, and business growth. More recently, this team expanded to form a stable long-term leadership group.
Looking to the future
Having outgrown our previous premises, we moved to a new 'home' in Belfast's 'Titanic Quarter' in summer 2024. Our new premises features modern R&D and production laboratories and gives us space to grow our team.
As always, our aim is to continue the Biocolor story by developing innovative, user-friendly assays that will support and accelerate scientific progress!
Since the 1990s
Thirty years of making extracellular matrix measurement simpler.
Next steps
Explore the range
Six assay kits for collagen, sGAG, elastin and hyaluronan, made in Belfast.