POLYMERIZABLE COMPOUNDS INTEGRALLY CONTAINING POLYPEPTIDES AND THEIR USE IN POLYMERIZATION INDUCED SEPARATION IMMUNOASSAYS

摘要

The invention relates to polymerizable compounds integrally containing polypeptides and their use in polymerization induced separation immunoassays. A conjugate used in the de novo preparation of polymers containing one or more polypeptides is disclosed, comprising a polymerizable compound containing at least one reactive site for bonding with a polypeptide and a polypeptide covalently bonded thereto. A method of selectively removing substances from a fluid mixture is further disclosed, and comprises covalently bonding a polymerizable organic compound to a polypeptide that has binding activity to the substance in the fluid mixture to form a conjugate, contacting the substance with the conjugate to bind the compound to the polypeptide and form a polymerizable organic compound/polypeptide--substance complex, and polymerizing the complex to form an insoluble polymer which can be separated from the fluid mixture. The invention also comprises an immunoassay method for determining the presence of an analyte in a fluid sample suspected of containing an analyte comprising the steps of contacting the fluid sample with a monomer/reactant conjugate in order to form a monomer/reactant conjugate--analyte complex and providing a reporter for labeling the monomer/reactant conjugate--analyte complex, and then separating the labeled complex by initiating polymerization of the monomer/reactant conjugate--analyte complex, and finally detecting the incorporation of reporter into the polymerized complex.