Water-soluble fluorescent polymeric dyes

A polymeric tandem dye comprising:

• a water-soluble light harvesting multi-chromophore comprising a conjugated segment having the structure of formula (I):
• wherein:
• M1 and M2 are each independently an aryl or heteroaryl co-monomer;
• R1 and R2 are each independently a water-soluble group;
• R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, halo, cyano, and hydroxyl;
• a and b define the mol % of each unit within the conjugated segment, wherein a is greater than or equal to b;
• and
• excitation of the multi-chromophore leads to emission of light from M2;
• and
• a signaling chromophore covalently linked to the multi-chromophore in energy-receiving proximity therewith.

An aggregation-resistant labelled specific binding member comprising:

• a water-soluble light harvesting multi-chromophore comprising a conjugated segment having the structure of formula (I):
• wherein:
• M1 and M2 are each independently an aryl or heteroaryl co-monomer;
• R1 and R2 are each independently a water-soluble group;
• R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, halo, cyano, and hydroxyl;
• a and b define the mol % of each unit within the conjugated segment, wherein a is greater than or equal to b;
• and
• excitation of the multi-chromophore leads to emission of light from M2;
• and
• a specific binding member covalently linked to the multi-chromophore.