Protein verification with Aptamers

The main methods of detection for proteins are methods like ELISA or Western/Dot Blot. They are based on antibodies and thereby are dependent on animal experiments, not always creating exactly identical anti bodies. The use of aptamers presented itself as a good alternative. But the missing specificity especially for a protein mixture is a problem for broader applications.

The innovation presented here is based on a technique for separating different proteins inside a sample and subsequent in vitro marking with aptamers. This enables the specific verification of the protein. The separation takes place by native separation techniques, keeping the complex folding of the protein intact and utilizing different parameters, particularly the isoelectric point within a gel electrophoresis. The aptamer binds highly specific to the protein to be verified and can be marked for easy certification. Here all common markings are possible. Due to the separation of the proteins, the verification of various proteins in a single sample is possible with the technique presented here. Here the absence of the protein to be certified also counts as evidence.