Estapor® Microspheres
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IT 250 microspheres are highly uniform in size and shape.
Our plain Estapor® microspheres offer a simple and convenient option for LTIA diagnostics tests. The plain surface of the microsphere is designed to be easily and quickly coated with the antibody or antigen of choice via protein adsorption through hydrophobic and ionic interactions. This passive coupling procedure works particularly well for biomolecules with a molecular weight of 10 kDa or more. Our plain microspheres are available in a variety of sizes as well as surfactant-free.
See full offering of Plain Estapor® Microspheres and Plain Surfactant-free Estapor® Microspheres for LTIA here.
The introduction of highly polar carboxyl groups to the surface of the microsphere allows covalent binding of antibodies and other proteins. The resulting conjugation is extremely stable over time and due to their hydrophilic surface, our functionalized microspheres exhibit low non-specific binding and an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio.
For biomolecules with a molecular weight under 10 kDa, we recommend a covalent coupling procedure. We offer a wide variety of functionalized microspheres, with different sizes, carboxyl content and polymer offerings available. Microsphere selection will depend on the desired analytical performance and the optical requirements of a particular assay. Our dedicated team of technical specialists are on hand to offer guidance.
These smaller microspheres and their slower agglutination kinetics within LTIA tests are designed to help mitigate against the ‘hook’ or ‘prozone’ effect whereby the effectiveness of antibodies to form immune complexes can be diminished when concentrations of the biomarker of interest are high.
See full offering here.
Our new IT 250 microspheres have been designed with key features for Latex Turbidimetry Immunoassays (LTIA). Combining both a larger size and surface functionalization these microspheres are particularly well suited to LTIA tests where high sensitivity is required. Our IT 250 microspheres are extremely uniform in size and shape and exhibit excellent lot-to-lot consistency.
Find out more here.
Product Name | Diameter (µm) | Surface COOH (µeg/g) | Polymer | Catalogue Number |
---|---|---|---|---|
IT 250 | 0.220 -0.275 | 45 - 85 | Polystyrene | 80380626 |
Highly polar or ionisable chemical groups increase latex stability and also facilitate covalent coupling of proteins to the microsphere surface. The groups –OH are produced by copolymerisation of the corresponding functional monomers.
Latex agglutination (Latex ID) testing is often used to detect microbial pathogens in various samples like human fluids, food and plate culture. The visual evaluation of latex agglutination necessitates different microsphere features. Our latex agglutination range of larger microspheres is perfectly suited to this application. Both plain and surface functionalized options are available, with all microspheres exhibiting high size and shape uniformity and excellent lot-to-lot reproducibility.
See full offering here.
Fig. 2 Latex agglutination on a slide using Estapor® K 080 microspheres, left (+), right (-).
Fig. 3 TEM of Estapor® K 080 microspheres showing consistent size and shape.