Smart Hydrogel Particles: Biomarker Harvesting: One-Step Affinity Purification, Size Exclusion, and Protection against Degradation

Disease-associated blood biomarkers exist in exceedingly low concentrations within complex mixtures of high-abundance proteins such as albumin. We have introduced an affinity bait molecule into N-isopropylacrylamide to produce a particle that will perform three independent functions within minutes, in one step, in solution: (a) molecular size sieving, (b) affinity capture of all solution-phase target molecules, and (c) complete protection of harvested proteins from enzymatic degradation. The captured analytes can be readily electroeluted for analysis.