Proteomic Applications of Polymeric Nanoparticles with Engineered Affinity towards Select Target

Proteins and other macromolecules of interest can be purified from crude extracts or other complex mixtures by a variety of methods. Selective precipitation is perhaps the simplest method for separating one type of macromolecule from another. Most purification methods, however, involve some form of chromatography whereby molecules in solution (mobile phase) are separated based on differences in chemical or physical interaction with a stationary material (solid phase). Gel filtration (also called size-exclusion chromatography or SEC) uses a porous resin material to separate molecules based on size (i.e., physical exclusion). In ion exchange chromatography, molecules are separated according to the strength of their overall ionic interaction with a solid phase material (i.e., nonspecific interactions).