Office of Technology Management
A Novel Method
for Production of Electrophoretically Uniform Protein Colloidal Gold Complexes
Summary:
Protein/colloidal
gold (Au) complexes are widely used as markers in electron and light microscopy,
as stains, and as a visible test for the presence of various substances
such as hormones in urine. Electrophoretic uniformity is important
because it is an indicator of the quantity of protein bound by the gold
particles, and is likely to influence the results obtained.
This
novel procedure 1) permits the selection of a pH of adsorption and a protein
concentration such that an electrophoretically uniform protein/colloidal
Au complex may be produced from electrophoretically uniform protein and
colloidal Au, and 2) includes a simple means for the product quality (1).
The
electrophoretic method can distinguish between several preparations which
have identical or nearly identical absorbances; thus, one may readily distinguish
conditions which yield electrophoretically uniform protein/colloid Au complexes
from those conditions that produce electrophoretically non-uniform protein/colloid
Au products.
Technology Status:
This
patent is available for licensing from UT-Houston Health Science Center.
Patent Status:
Patent
No. 5,298,135
William
Geoghegan, Ph.D.
Publication:
1)
Geoghegan, W. D., An Electrophoretic Method for Selection of Conditions
for Production of Electrophoretically Uniform Protein Colloidal Gold Complexes.
J Histochem Cytochem (1991) 39:111-121.