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Kinetic and Equilibrium Cluster-Size Distributions of Antibody-Antigen-Induced Colloidal Aggregation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 September 2012

Derin A. Sherman
Affiliation:
Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA
Richard J. Cohen
Affiliation:
Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA
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Abstract

Our colloidal system is composed of antigens covalently coupled to polystyrene microspheres. When monoclonal antibodies are added to solution, they reversibly bind to the antigens causing aggregation. Unlike many other similar systems, our system is thermodynamicallyreversible: the aggregates will dissociate in the presence of free antigen, and the aggregation process reaches a state of thermodynamic equilibrium. This system is of interest as it can be used to model many different chemical, physical and biological processes. In particular, this system can be used to quantify the interactions between the biomoleculesattached to the microspheres1 and also to explore the statistical mechanics of reversible particle aggregation.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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References

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