Merck Chemie has launched its Bio-Estapor magnetic microspheres range, designed to allow researchers to optimise bioseparation, biopurification or biodetection applications.
The line includes Streptavidin, anti-mouse IgG, anti-human IgG, Protein A and Protein G coated microspheres.
The use of magnetic microspheres is a well established alternative to conventional chromatography resins in automated high-throughput protocols replacing centrifugation, organic solvents and filtration by simple and rapid magnetic separation.
Bio-Estapor microspheres combine these advantages with features such as uniform size, high magnetite content and nonporous surface, allowing them to migrate quickly in magnetic fields while binding target molecules with a low unspecific adsorption.
The microsphere range integrates several technologies, including sizes, surface properties (working on a hydrophilic or lipophilic surface may help to increase signal-to-noise ratio) and ferrite content.
The 0.3um Bio-Estapor microspheres provide a high surface area, guaranteeing a maximum binding capacity and show capacity and show almost no sedimentation, but they will separate slowly especially in a complex or visquous matrix.
In comparison and with a high magnetophoretic mobility, the 2.6um Bio-Estapor microspheres will separate rapidly in a complex liquid but they have less surface area and will not remain very long in solution during the binding process.
The 1.0um Bio-Estapor microspheres are often the best compromise and combine efficient magnetophoretic mobility, high surface area and a low sedimentation rate.
Merck Chemie said this is likely why the 1um size is the 'gold standard' for chemiluminescent immunoassays.
The bio-coated magnetic beads could be an efficient alternative for researchers' chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) development.
The Streptavidin, anti-IgG, Protein A or Protein G coated beads act as a spacer and help to reduce possible steric hindrance for a better immunoreaction.
These bio-coated beads allow the attachment of an entire primary antibody or antigen, by a simple bioconjugation and eliminate the use of chemical coupling, which could impact their stability and bioactivity.
The company also offers custom bioconjugation for research and development purposes or for production either on magnetic or non-magnetic materials.
