Charged hydrogels for concentrating proteins
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsKripa K. Varanasi, Baptiste Blanc, Fabian Dickhardt, Bert Joannes C. Vandereydt
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Abstract
Hydrogel compositions that are capable of separating analytes in a mixture of analytes, and related methods, are generally described. For example, a hydrogel composition can be mixed with a sample comprising, at least, a first analyte and a second analyte, and the hydrogel composition can partition the first analyte selectively over the second electrolyte. The first analyte remains confined by the hydrogel composition, while the second analyte remains unconfined, facilitating separation of the two analytes.
Claims21
An article configured to sequester a charged analyte, the article comprising:
- a porous structure comprising a polymeric surface, wherein greater than or equal to 25% of pores of the porous structure are of a size through which an analyte having a molecular weight of greater than or equal to 30 kDa may pass;
- a plurality of sites of charge associated with the polymeric surface;
- and
- wherein the analyte has a charge opposite the plurality of sites of charge associated with the polymeric surface.
A system, comprising:
- a first phase comprising a solution;
- a second phase comprising a porous polymeric material;
- an analyte;
- and
- one or more species;
- wherein a concentration of the analyte is higher in the second phase relative to the first phase, and
- wherein a concentration of the one or more species is higher in the first phase relative to the second phase.
A system, comprising:
- a solution;
- a porous structure comprising a polymeric surface;
- an analyte having a molecular weight of greater than or equal to 30 kDa;
- and
- one or more species having a molecular weight of less than or equal to 20 kDa;
- wherein the analyte and the one or more species have the same charge.
A method for preparing a biological sample for determination of a species, comprising:
- exposing the biological sample to a porous structure having a hydrophilic surface comprising a plurality of sites of charge associated with the hydrophilic surface, wherein at least 25% of the pores of the porous structure are of a size into which an auxiliary biomolecule in the sample can pass, wherein the auxiliary biomolecule has charge opposite the sites of charge of the hydrophilic surface of the porous structure;
- allowing at least some of the auxiliary biomolecule to be sequestered by the porous structure;
- and
- at least partially separating the sample from the porous structure, thereby providing the sample with an analyte concentration greater, relative to that of the auxiliary biomolecule, than the analyte/auxiliary biomolecule ratio in the sample prior to exposing.
A method for at least partially separating species in a sample comprising a first species and a second species, the method comprising:
- mixing a hydrogel composition with the sample;
- partitioning the first species into the hydrogel at a higher concentration than the second species;
- and
- removing the hydrogel composition from the sample.
21-33. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.