To provide a method of binding pathogenic microorganisms and their toxic toxins with ligands which eliminates disadvantages of the technique dependent on antibodies to estimate the microorganisms and proteins.
The ligands are covalently tethered at some distance from a surface of a substrate. The tether in the case of ligands intended for the binding of microorganisms is necessary to be at least 15 . The tether in the case of ligands intended for the binding of proteins is necessary to be at least 6 . Examples of the ligands include toxic proteins, envelope proteins, and heme compounds, siderophore, polysaccharides and peptides specific to conjugate lipids. A non-binding component in a solution subjected to analysis is separated from a bound fraction, and the binding can be detected by microscopy, fluorometry, epi-fluorometry, luminescence method, phosphorescent method, radioactive method or absorption photometry. Many ligands are patterned on the surface of the substrate in the form of arrays to analyze the binding pattern of a sample to the arrays, thereby enabling the taxonomic identification of microorganisms.
ELLIS WALTHER R JR
LLOYD CHRISTOPHER R
Fumihiko Ito