Bio-Separation Based on Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles

摘要

To date, the separation of cells and extraction of target biomacromolecules from biological samples based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have received considerable attentions ascribed to their attractive properties such as the superparamagnetic property, high surface area, readily suspension and dispersion, and easily close to bio-entities of interest. In this review, the general requirements for bio-separations with MNPs are discussed. As substantial progress has been made in preparation of magnetic nanoparticles by a variety of methods, a major challenge still is the surface modification and functionalization for specific biological applications, and therefore some surface processing strategies are emphasized. Then the bio-separation applications of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles, including isolation and extraction of cells, proteins and nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), by suitable methodologies are presented in detail. In addition, a few featured methods that employ multifunctional or multifold MNPs that can combine isolation of cells and extraction of biomacromolecules together are also discussed. Finally, some comments on the future trends and perspectives in this research area are outlined.