Open tubular liquid chromatographic separations using an aptamer stationary phase

Aptamers are oligonucleotides which are isolated in vitro based on their affinity for a target molecule. These molecules hold promise for use in analytical methods which rely on molecular recognition. In this study, we report the immobilization of an RNA aptamer on the inner walls of fused silica capillaries. Due to the small size of these molecules, the resulting surface coverage of these capillaries made them suitable for use in open tubular liquid chromatographic studies. These capillaries also exhibited stability when an organic modifier was added to the mobile phase. These characteristics of aptamers make them desirable over traditional affinity chromatography stationary phases.