NOVEL SUPPORTS FOR CARBOHYDRATE IMMOBILIZATION

THE IMMOBILIZATION OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE MOLECULES ON SUPPORT MATRICES HAS MANY APPLICATIONS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY. PASSIVE ADSORPTION OF BIOMOLECULES (BOTH HYDROPHOBIC AND IONIC) TO POLYMERIC MATRICES IS THE LEAST COMPLICATED METHOD OF IMMOBILIZATION; HOWEVER, MANY BIOCHEMICALS DO NOT ADSORB WELL TO PLASTIC POLYMER SURFACES. IN PARTICULAR, CARBOHYDRATES ARE OFTEN DIFFICULT TO ADSORB WITH A SUFFICIENT DEGREE OF TENACITY. FACILE, COVALENT IMMOBILIZATION OF CARBOHYDRATE MOIETIES WOULD HAVE APPLICATION IN THE SURFACE MODIFICATION OF IMPLANTABLE DEVICES AND MAKE POSSIBLE THE DETECTION OF CARBOHYDRATE ANTIGENS IN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY PROCEDURES. BIO-METRIC SYSTEMS, INC., PLANS TO DEMONSTRATE PHOTOCHEMICALIMMOBILIZATION OF POLYSACCHARIDES TO INTRACTABLE POLYSTYRENESURFACES. THE TECHNOLOGY EXPECTED TO RESULT FROM THIS PROJECT WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DERIVATIZED SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR COVALENT LINKAGE OF MANY CARBOHYDRATES BY PROCEDURES THAT ARE LESS CUMBERSOME THAN OTHER COVALENT LINKAGE PROTOCOLS.