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This paper describes the use of magnetic levitation (MagLev) to measure the association of proteins and ligands. The method starts with diamagnetic gel beads that are functionalized covalently with small molecules (putative ligands). Binding of protein to the ligands within the bead causes a change in the density of the bead. When these beads are suspended in a paramagnetic aqueous buffer and placed between the poles of two NbFeB magnets with like poles facing, the changes in the density of the bead on binding of protein result in changes in the levitation height of the bead that can be used to quantify the amount of protein bound. This paper uses a reaction-diffusion model to examine the physical principles that determine the values of rate and equilibrium constants measured by this system, using the well-defined model system of carbonic anhydrase and aryl sulfonamides. By tuning the experimental protocol, the method is capable of quantifying either the concentration of protein in a solution, or the binding affinities of a protein to several resin-bound small molecules simultaneously. Since this method requires no electricity and only a single piece of inexpensive equipment, it may find use in situations where portability and low cost are important, such as in bioanalysis in resource-limited settings, point-of-care diagnosis, veterinary medicine, and plant pathology. It still has several practical disadvantages. Most notably, the method requires relatively long assay times and cannot be applied to large proteins (>70 kDa), including antibodies. The design and synthesis of beads with improved characteristics (e.g., larger pore size) has the potential to resolve these problems.

This paper describes an analytical system that uses magnetic levitation to measure densities of solids and water-immiscible organic liquids with accuracies ranging from +/-0.0002 to +/-0.02 g/cm(3), depending on the type of experiment. The technique is compatible with densities of 0.8-3 g/cm(3) and is applicable to samples with volumes of 1 pL to 1 mL; the samples can be either spherical or irregular in shape. The method employs two permanent NdFeB magnets positioned with like poles facing one another--with the axis between the poles aligned with the gravitational field--and a container filled with paramagnetic medium (e.g., MnCl(2) dissolved in water) placed between these magnets. Density measurements are obtained by placing the sample into the container and measuring the position of the sample relative to the bottom magnet. The balance of magnetic and gravitational forces determines the vertical position of the sample within the device; knowing this position makes it possible to calculate the density of the sample.

This communication describes a density-based method that uses magnetic levitation for monitoring solid-supported reactions and for distinguishing differences in chemical composition of polymers. The method is simple, rapid, and inexpensive and is similar to thin-layer chromatography (TLC; for solution-phase chemistry) in its potential for monitoring reactions in solid-phase chemistry. The technique involves levitating a sample of beads (taken from a reaction mixture) in a cuvette containing a paramagnetic solution (e.g., GdCl(3) dissolved in H(2)O) positioned between two NdFeB magnets. The vertical position at which the beads levitate corresponds to the density of the beads and correlates with the progress of a chemical reaction on a solid support. The method is particularly useful for monitoring the kinetics of reactions occurring on polymer beads.