What is it about?
By modifying a well-known alcohol-protecting group (the silyl protection group), we created a system that can catch and release biomolecules, such as enzymes and proteins, leaving them unharmed and functional after release. The cleaving agent is buffered oxide etch (buffered fluoride ions), a reagent normally used to etch silica (i.e. glass).
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Why is it important?
Magnetic nanoparticles are especially useful when it comes to avoiding tedious separation techniques, such as column chromatography, His-tag chromatography or long spin column runs. This paper shows how to extract your tagged enzyme out of a solution and releasing it in another, "cleaner" environment, therefore avoiding these cost and time-intensive purification steps. This material can be useful for protein purification, upconcentration etc.
Perspectives
In my opinion magnetic nanoparticles will have a supstantial impact in simplifying the the everyday life of biological chemist or synthetic biologist. However, simple and easy-to-use systems still have to be elaborated. Low-cost, non-toxic, highly functionalized nanoparticles with proper anti-fouling properties are needed and will be developed.
Mr Elia M Schneider
ETH Zürich, D-CHAB
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Click and release: fluoride cleavable linker for mild bioorthogonal separation, Chemical Communications, January 2016, Royal Society of Chemistry,
DOI: 10.1039/c5cc07692g.
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