Emd Millipore Corporation

Dave Brewster

Neil P Soice

Philip M Goddard

John Charkoudian

Antoni Peters

Anja Dedeo

Elena Chernokalskaya

Vivek Joshi

Mark Kavonian

The present invention provides synthetic membranes which are suitable as a human skin substitute for the investigation of transdermal diffusion of candidate pharmaceutical and cosmetic compounds. The membranes according to the present invention exhibit human skin-like permeability properties with respect to the diffusion of a wide range of compounds having widely different physico-chemical properties.

Polymeric membranes with human skin-like permeability properties and uses thereof

Hydrophilic membrane particularly suited for blotting applications, preferably Western blotting. A pre-wet hydrophobic membrane substrate, preferably made of PVDF, is contacted with a monomer solution and subjected to a UV-initiated free radical polymerization step to render the substrate permanently hydrophilic. The resulting membrane exhibits low background fluorescence, high protein binding, excellent retention of protein sample spot morphology, and extended dynamic range (high signal-to-noise ratio, enhanced sample detectability). The membrane demonstrates comparable or higher performance in Western blotting applications than conventional nitrocellulose Western blotting membranes, particularly for protein detection at low sample concentrations, and is directly water-wettable, eliminating the need for an alcohol pre-wet step prior to use.

Hydrophilic, high protein binding, low fluorescence, western blotting membrane

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Billerica, MA, United States of America

Dave Brewster