Toward a Universal Method for Preparing Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nanoparticles with Antibody-like Affinity for Proteins

We describe a potentially universal, simple and cheap method to prepare water-compatible molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP-NPs) as synthetic antibodies against proteins. The strategy is based on a solid phase synthesis approach where glass beads (GBs) are functionalized with a metal chelate, acting as a general affinity ligand to attract surface-bound histidines present on proteins. This configuration enables an oriented immobilization of the proteins, upon which thermoresponsive MIP-NPs are synthesized. The GBs play the role of both a reactor and a separation column since, after synthesis, the MIP-NPs are released from the support by a simple temperature change, resulting in protein-free polymers. The resulting MIP-NPs are endowed with improved binding site homogeneity, since the binding sites have the same orientation. Moreover, they are stable (no aggregation) in a buffer solution for prolonged storage time and exhibit apparent dissociation constants in the nanomolar range, with little or no cross-reactivity toward other proteins.