Lab on a Bead develops and sells magnetic based systems for the purification of antibodies and cells.

Lab on a Bead originates from Uppsala, Sweden, just like bioseparation pioneer Pharmacia, and the R&D and production facilities are located there. Within the company, a solid expertise in bioseparation, surface chemistry, and magnetism is collected.

The company was founded in 2007 around research performed at Stockholm and Uppsala Universities. In the company this was further developed into methods for imbueing magnetic material in agarose beads and for coupling ligands to their surfaces. These methods are now patented by the company.

Magnetic resin for purification of biologics

LOABeads SerAsc – magnetic agarose beads for purification of antibodies from serum and ascites fluid samples, IgG serum depletion and immunoprecipitation.

LOABeads PrtA – magnetic agarose beads specifically developed for purification of monoclonal IgG antibodies from complex and defined cell culture media.

LOABeads AffiAmino10 – magnetic agarose beads activated for coupling to aminogroups and thiols in for example proteins.

LOABeads MagSep – laboratory magnetic separators that fit standard tubes and bottles of 15, 50 and 500 ml size.

LOABeads magnetic agarose beads have the same properties valued in normal agarose, such as high binding capacity and minimal nonspecific interactions, while also providing the simplicity and rapid separations of magnetic beads.

The beads are agarose beads imbued with magnetic material. With a diameter of approx. 100 µm and a dark color, the individual beads are clearly visible, making collection simple. They do not form aggregates and are easily dispersed without use of detergents.

Lab on a Bead’s unique patented coupling chemistry is used for covalent conjugation of ligands to the surface of the beads. Aminogroups (-NH2) and thiols (-SH) in the ligands are employed in the coupling, which makes it an ideal method for coupling proteins to surfaces.

All steps in the coupling are performed at physiological conditions and at room temperature with high yields and short reaction times. No hazardous reagents are needed and the use of water-based media eliminates organic solvents.

Purification of proteins

2007