Functionalized Polymers

Our functionalized polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres are suitable for the covalent immobilization of proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids. They are synthesized via emulsion polymerization, and are available in diameters up to ~10µm, with typical size CVs of 10%. Most products are supplied as 10% solids suspension (100mg/mL) in de-ionized water with surfactant and sodium azide.
Carboxyl Polymer
EDAC-mediated coupling is often used for the covalent immobilization of amine-terminated proteins, DNA, or other molecules on carboxyl-functionalized PS and P(S/DVB) microspheres. See TechNote 205, Covalent Coupling, for a protocol and tips on coating optimization and QC.
Amine Polymer
Amine-functionalized microspheres offer further options for coupling of biomolecules. Glutaraldehyde is commonly used for the immobilization of amine-containing compounds, and specialized linkers are available for targeted coupling of thiol or carbohydrate moieties to amine-functionalized microspheres. See TechNote 205, Covalent Coupling.
Our PolyLink Protein Coupling Kit is ideal for investigators who are new to microsphere coating, or simply desire the convenience of a kit. The kit is intended for use with carboxyl-functionalized microspheres of 1µm or larger. It contains sufficient EDAC, coupling buffer, and wash/storage buffer for 50 reactions using ~200-500µg protein and 12.5mg COOH-functionalized microspheres per reaction.
And, when you need refills of your EDAC or buffers, check out our Accessory Reagents.