Protein Adhesion at Poly(ethylene glycol) Modified Surfaces

The inhibition of protein adsorption to the surfaces of biomedical devices is a crucial requirement for avoiding implant-associated infections or thrombus formation on blood-contacting artificial surfaces and thus for increasing the long-term biocompatibility of the devices. Here, the use of surface plasmon resonance and scanning force microscopy using protein-modified tips (see figure) to study protein adhesion on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafted polymer materials is discussed. The PEG-rafted materials are revealed to have significantly reduced affinity to proteins.