Ficoll

α -D - glucopyranoside, β -D - fructofuranosyl, polymer with 2 - ( chloromethyl) oxirane

• Sucrose
• Epichlorohydrin

Copolymer

White powder

Fixed

Slightly soluble in water

Sucrose -epichlorohydrin copolymer is a synthetic copolymer of sucrose and epichlorohydrin, which readily dissolves in water. The molecule is highly branched and has a neutral reaction in aqueous solution.

The copolymer is in the density gradient in the use of biochemical analysis.

Production

Sucrose -epichlorohydrin copolymer is copolymerized from sucrose and epichlorohydrin. The density of the copolymer can be influenced. The gradient a density of 1 to 1.2 g / ml is used.

Use

Sucrose -epichlorohydrin copolymer is used in the biological and medical research and diagnostics for the isolation of mononuclear cells (PBMC) under the trademarks Ficoll Histopaque and polysucrose. As part of sample buffer for agarose gels, it increases the density of the sample introduced into the pockets DNA containing solution characterized longer remains in the pockets. Sucrose -epichlorohydrin copolymers due to their high molar mass ( Ficoll 400: an average of 400 kDa) virtually no osmotic activity and are therefore particularly suitable for density better than sucrose.

Literature and sources

• Werner Luttmann, Kai Bratke, Michael Küpper, Daniel Myrtek: The experimenter: Immunology. 2nd edition. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg 2006, ISBN 3-8274-1730-9