Plasma-Treated Microplates with Enhanced Protein Recoveries and Minimized Extractables

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Microplates are crucial for bioanalytical assays and biologic storage.
• Nonspecific protein adsorption can compromise assay accuracy and sample integrity.
• Current passivation methods may introduce contaminants and are often necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel plasma treatment technology for microplates.
• To evaluate the impact of this technology on protein recovery and extractables.
• To assess the stability and cleanliness of treated microplates.

Main Methods:

• Plasma treatment of polypropylene microplates to modify surface chemistry.
• Chemical characterization of the modified surface, focusing on polar groups.
• Assessment of protein adsorption and recovery using five different proteins.
• Evaluation of microplate stability and cleanliness over time.

Main Results:

• Plasma treatment created surfaces with hydrogen-bond-acceptor uncharged polar groups.
• Treated microplates significantly reduced nonspecific protein adsorption across various concentrations.
• High protein recovery was achieved, outperforming commercial low-binding plates.
• Demonstrated high shelf-life stability and cleanliness of the plasma-treated microplates.

Conclusions:

• The proprietary plasma treatment effectively enhances microplate performance for bioanalytical applications.
• This technology offers a superior alternative to traditional passivation methods.
• The treated microplates ensure higher protein recovery and sample integrity for biologics storage.