Improved High-Density Functionality of Polymer Surfaces

This easy modification creates polymer surfaces with high-density functionality by using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP fibers) as the support material. The low-cost modification provides the capability for fast protein separations for proteomics applications and downstream processing due to the improved binding capacity. Protein therapeutics is experiencing phenomenal growth and is poised to reach a market value of $1,463 million by 2020. While this market has seen much improvement and growth in the last decade, the development of high efficiency, low-cost stationary phases for protein separation continues to be an area of interest and opportunity. There are many forms of support phases employed in downstream processing, but the more conventional materials are lacking in inherent production throughput. Clemson University researchers have developed a modification by implementing a serial, polymer cross-linking procedure and polymerization to create PET C-CP fiber surfaces with higher functionality and binding capacity while maintaining efficient hydrodynamics.