1 . A dye-labeled compound comprising:
a donor dye; an acceptor dye; a shield element; a terminal coupling element; and a dye compound linker element;
wherein the dye compound linker element covalently connects the terminal coupling element to the donor dye, the acceptor dye, or the shield element;
wherein the shield element comprises a plurality of side chains; and
wherein the terminal coupling element comprises a biotin moiety.
2 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 comprising at least two donor dyes.
3 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 2 comprising at least four donor dyes.
4 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 comprising at least two acceptor dyes.
5 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 4 comprising at least four acceptor dyes.
6 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 comprising at least two donor dyes and at least two acceptor dyes.
7 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein the dye compound linker element comprises a shield element or a side chain element.
8 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein the shield element decreases photodamage of the dye-labeled compound or of a biomolecule associated with the dye-labeled compound or increases brightness of the compound.
9 . (canceled)
10 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one side chain has a molecular weight of at least 300.
11 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein all of the side chains have a molecular weight of at least 300.
12 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one side chain comprises a polyethylene glycol.
13 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one side chain comprises a negatively-charged component.
14 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 13 , wherein the negatively-charged component comprises a sulfonic acid.
15 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one side chain comprises a substituted phenyl group.
16 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 15 , wherein the at least one side chain comprises the structure:
wherein each x is independently an integer from 1 to 6.
17 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 16 , wherein each x is independently an integer from 1 to 4.
18 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one side chain comprises a triazole.
19 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one side chain comprises one of the structures illustrated in FIG. 24 .
20 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein the shield element comprises the structure:
wherein each y is independently an integer from 1 to 6.
21 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein the shield element comprises one of the structures illustrated in FIG. 20 .
22 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 comprising at least two terminal coupling elements.
23 . (canceled)
24 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein the terminal coupling element comprises a bis-biotin moiety.
25 . The dye-labeled compound of claim 1 , wherein the donor dye or dyes or the acceptor dye or dyes is a cyanine dye.
26 . The dye-labeled compound of any one of claim 1 , wherein the compound does not contain a nucleoside.
27 - 107 . (canceled)
108 . A labeled reagent composition comprising an avidin protein and the dye-labeled compound of claim 1 .