The present invention describes chemically modified avidins that have higherpermanence in treated tissues compared to wild type avidin. Avidin oxidationis performed by periodate incubation in the presence of the low affinity ligandHABA which, occupying the biotin binding sites, prevents protein denaturationduring the oxidation step. Periodate oxidation generates CHO groups from avidinmannose ring opening that, once injected, react with tissue NH