Dynabeads

Dynabeads are superparamagnetic, monosized and spherical polymer particles with a consistent, defined surface for the adsorption or coupling of various bioreactive molecules or cells.

They were developed after John Ugelstad managed to create uniform polystyrene spherical beads (defined as microbeads) of exactly the same size,^[1][2] at the University of Trondheim, Norway in 1976, something otherwise only achieved by NASA^[3] in the weightless conditions of SkyLab.

This discovery revolutionised the separation of many biological materials^[3]. The technology behind the beads, called Dynabeads, was licensed to Dyno Industrier in 1980 and this magnetic separation technology has been since used for the isolation and manipulation of biological material, including cells, nucleic acids, proteins and pathogenic microorganisms^[4][5]. Dynabeads is also used in cancer research applications for what is called cell isolation^[4].

Following a series of mergers and acquisitions Dynal and Dynabeads are currently owned and produced by Invitrogen^[4], part of Life Technologies.

References

1. ^ J. Ugelstad & F.K. Hansen, Rubber Chem. and Techn. 49, 536 - 609 (1976). "Kinetics and mechanism of emulsion polymerization."
2. ^ "Abstract of Cell Isolation and Expansion Using Dynabeads ®". Springer. http://www.springerlink.com/content/68535734w85l2056/. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "The History of Dynal® and Biomagnetic Separation". Invitrogen. http://www.invitrogen.com/site/us/en/home/brands/Dynal/The-History-of-Dynabeads.html. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Cell Isolation & Expansion". Invitrogen. http://www.invitrogen.com/site/us/en/home/Products-and-Services/Applications/Cell-and-Tissue-Analysis/Cell-Isolation-and-Expansion.html. 
5. ^ "References for protein isolation applications using Dynabeads®". Invitrogen. http://www.invitrogen.com/site/us/en/home/Products-and-Services/Applications/Protein-Expression-and-Analysis/Protein-Sample-Preparation-and-Protein-Purification/ProteinSPProteinIso-Misc/Protein-Isolation/Dynabeads-for-Different-Protein-Isolation-Applications.html. 

Further reading

• Ashok Kumar, Igor Yu Galaev, Bo Mattiasson (2007). Cell separation: fundamentals, analytical and preparative methods. Springer. ISBN 978-3540752622. http://books.google.com/books?id=b2oeaFzo8aEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Cell+separation:+fundamentals,+analytical+and+preparative+methods&hl=en&ei=HJvMTNjhBIWcOtP5tMQB&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6wEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false.