Artificial antibodies to corticosteroids prepared by molecular imprinting

A method for producing an artificial polymeric antibody by non-covalent molecular imprinting, comprising:

• i) combining methacrylic acid as a first monomer with corticosteroid print molecules in the presence of a porogenic solvent, wherein said print molecules are cortisol or corticosterone, and said porogenic solvent is tetrahydrofuran or acetone;
• ii) adding ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a crosslinking monomer to the methacrylic acid and print molecules of said step i);
• iii) polymerizing said monomers to form a polymeric antibody by non-covalent molecular imprinting;
• and
• iv) removing the print molecules after step iii) to form an artificial polymeric antibody having predetermined spatially positioned, specific binding sites for corticosteroids.