Abstract: A reagent such as an enzyme is entrapped in a material such as wax or a liposome that releases the reagent when heated. In a preferred embodiment, wax beads containing the reagent are prepared by injecting the reagent into beads of molten wax and cooling to solidify the wax. In another embodiment, droplets of a solution of the reagent are dropped through a layer of molten wax to coat the droplets with the wax and the coated droplets are cooled to solidify the wax. The entrapped reagents have application in nucleic acid hybridizations, polymerase chain reactions (PCR), reverse transcriptase reactions (RTR), nucleic acid sequencing, and product generating reactions such as colorimetic, fluorometric and chemiluminescent enzyme labeled immunoassays.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for immobilizing a protein or protein containing substance. The material to be immobilized is aggregated, contacted in a liquid with a hydrophilic solid phase and the solid phase, after contact has taken place, is dried. The present invention is also concerned with the solid phase prepared by this process and with the use thereof for analytical determination.

Abstract: A porous carrier containing an immobilized biologically active material is prepared in which a relatively large amount of an enzyme or an antibody has been immobilized in a manner that produces a low diffusion resistance toward reagents and products. The porous carrier is produced by fixing enzymes or antibodies within internal micropores of the carrier and mechanically compressing the carrier to a final thickness which is in the range of about 0.20 to 0.80 times the uncompressed carrier thickness. The compressed carrier may have a density about 1.25 to about 5.0 times the density of the carrier before compressing. Surprisingly, the compressed carrier exhibits less diffusion resistance to specific reagents and products than would an uncompressed carrier. A preferred porous carrier is a semi-permeable membrane made from synthetic polymers, such as polyvinylidine difluoride.

Abstract: Sequential degradation of peptides for sequencing purposes by successive cleavage of amino acids from one end of the peptide chain is performed in an adsorption column with flows of the degradation reagents and wash liquids passing through the column in both directions. Migration of the peptide in one direction is thereby compensated by a subsequent migration in the other, and loss of peptide from the column over repeated cleavages is avoided. In preferred embodiments, the column contains two serially arranged adsorbent zones with differing adsorption characteristics, and the directions of flow of the various system components through the column are selected with a view toward a difference in peptide partitioning between the stationary and mobile phases in one zone vs. the other. The result is that any migration of the peptide occurring at any stage of a given cycle of the procedure occurs at a greater rate toward the zone interface than away from it.

Abstract: A single-step procedure for the immobilization of antibodies, comprising reacting a purified antibody with buffered periodate in an amount sufficient to produce aldehyde groups in the presence of a polymer carrier material which has been modified with adipic acid dihydrazide is disclosed. The present invention provides dramatic improvements in activity. and yield of immobilized antibody over the prior multi-step procedure employing separate oxidation and immobilization steps.

Abstract: Biological materials such as enzymes, proteins and peptides are encapsulated by forming a mixture of the material and an aqueous non-ionic polymer solution, spraying the mixture into a circulating water-immiscible nonsolvent for the polymer at a temperature sufficient to freeze the beads and drying the frozen beads to remove essentially all unbound water such as to provide a water content of about 1-2 weight percent. Suitable non-ionic polymers are poly(vinyl alcohol), polyvinylpyrollidone, dextran and derivatized cellulose. A densification agent such as alumina may be present in the polymer solution to enhance specific gravity of the beads formed. Encapsulated material such as microbes produced by this process provide useful agricultural agents which can be delivered to the market in a dormant state and suitable for delivery to soil or plant leaves. The beads can be applied dry, via a planting or an insecticide box, or wet via a spray nozzle.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for immobilizing proteins or peptides onto a flat, microporous membrane surface in a form suitable for sequence analysis or other chemical or enzymatic processes. The process involves the formation of a thin polymer network that entraps the protein or peptide therein.

Abstract: A method of binding an antibody with protein A cells is provided which includes a sequence of incubation and dilution steps to produce a preselected amount and concentration of antibody with a preselected distribution of antibody among the protein A cells. In addition, a method is provided for preparing an antibody entrapped porous matrix and apparatus which includes a specific porous matrix with a preselected position of antibody bound bacterium cells therein along with means for drawing fluids through the porous medium and means for facilitating the deposition of fluids onto the surface of the porous matrix. The apparatus and method is useful for testing for the level of progesterone in animal body fluids, such as milk, plasma, serum, whole blood and saliva.

Abstract: Enzyme-occluding polymer particles are produced by a method including the steps of dissolving an enzyme in an aqueous solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) possessing a styrylpyridinium group or a styrylquinolinium group, spray drying the aqueous solution, and exposing the resultant dry particles to an actinic ray, thereby photo-crosslinking the particles.

Abstract: A device for the determination of amino acid sequence of a polypeptide comprises two new features offering great advantages in the cost and efficiency of operation of amino acid sequencers. The sequencer is provided with the capability for the bidirectional flow of sequencing reagents and contains a sample chamber having a bicompositional adsorbent for the polypeptide.

Abstract: The invention describes a whole .beta.-glucan drug delivery vehicle that non-specifically enhances the immune response, and is safe for human use. A drug is incorporated into a whole .beta.-glucan microparticle, and the combination is administered to an individual. The .beta.-glucan vehicle allows sustained release of the drug component while simultaneously enhancing the effectiveness of the drug by boosting the individual's endogenous immune response.

Abstract: A biocatalyst such as an enzyme or microbe is immobilized in a polymer gel having a phase transition temperature such that it is capable of reversibly swelling and shrinking by a change in temperature. By lowering the temperature, the polymer gel is caused to swell and a biocatalyst is absorbed therein and by raising the temperature, the polymer gel is caused to shrink and immobilize the biocatalyst. The biocatalyst may then be released by cooling the polymer to cause it to swell. Only a portion of the polymer gel may be subjected to temperature change to immobilize the biocatalyst only in a desired portion.

Abstract: A diagnostic method for neurological and psychiatric disorders utilizes the cerebrospinal fluid incubated in the presence of 32-P labelled ATP and an appropriate protein kinase. After termination of the reaction, a sample is applied to gels for electrophoresis. Subsequent autoradiography results in a disease-specific protein pattern that can be used for diagnosis of disorders such as Alzheimer disease, Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, dystonia ataxia, schizophrenia, epilepsy brain tumors, brain irradiation, head trauma, and acute and chronic encephalitic and vascular disease.

Abstract: Macromolecular monoclonal antibody compositions are provided which are capable of selectively forming stable bonds to cells having a predetermined concentration of at least one surface antigen, such concentration being greater in such cells than in other cells in the cell population, wherein the composition comprises a substrate and a plurality of monoclonal antibodies specific to said surface antigen or antigens, which antibodies are covalently bonded to the substrate.

Abstract: Biological material such as microorganisms is immobilized by polymerizing in the presence of the biological material a readily soluble polyetherpolyol having some hydroxyl groups esterified with acrylic and/or methacrylic acid and remaining hydroxyl groups reacted with an isocyanate group-containing derivative of an unsaturated carboxylic acid or a polyfunctional isocyanate. Preferably, the isocyanate derivative of an unsaturated carboxylic acid is isocyanatoethyl acrylate, isocyanatoethyl methacrylate of 4-isocyanato-3-methyl-2-butyl-acrylate and the polyfunctional isocyanate is a diisocyanate or polyisocyanate. Beads can be produced by forming droplets in a water-immiscible medium and polymerizing. Polymerization can be carried out under inert gas in the presence of radical initiators or by irradiation with actinic light.

Abstract: An insoluble biocatalyst is prepared by forming a mixture consisting essentially of the biocatalyst, one or more water-soluble compounds having two or more acrylamide or meth-acrylamido groups and one or more water soluble amines possessing two or more hydrogen atoms bonded to an amine nitrogen, and forming a gel from the mixture. The water-soluble amine is selected from ammonia, lower diamines, lower polyamines, primary monoamines, polyethyleneimine and polyvinylamine. Beads containing the biocatalyst may be formed by suspending the mixture in a water-immiscible solvent to form droplets prior to gelling. The biocatalyst may be an enzyme, cells or cell fragments.

Abstract: Conjugate monomers, polymers, and methods for the de novo synthesis of the polymers are provided. Conjugate organic monomers contain binding-pair members which upon polymerization become integrally associated with the resultant polymer. Specifically, antigens, antibodies, receptors, and ligands may be bound to organic monomers either directly by chemical reaction or indirectly by chemical spacer arms, and these conjugates may be polymerized or copolymerized with nonderivatized monomers to form polymers containing variable amounts of the binding-pair members. Such conjugate monomers and polymers find a wide variety of uses in binding to their binding-pair-member cognate which include selective removal of complementary binding-pair members from solution as well as in immunoassay procedures and in immunization regimes.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the de novo synthesis of antibody-containing polymers and the preparation of a class of polymerizable compounds used in the synthesis of such antibody-containing polymers. Antibody-containing polymers formed from monomer/antibody conjugates and nonderivatized polymerizable compounds can be varied in formation of the polymer to provide control of (a) molecular spacing, steric accessibility and the number of antibody molecules that are integrally incorporated into the polymer backbone, and (b) the chemical and physical structure of the polymer itself, thus enabling specific tailoring of antibody-containing polymers for particular end-use application. Also disclosed is a method for the selective removal of a compound from a solution or suspension thereof using monomer/receptor conjugates where the compound has the capacity to bind to the receptor in the conjugate.