Polysorbate 20 - Biotechnical Applications

Biotechnical Applications

In biological techniques and sciences, Polysorbate 20 has a broad range of applications. For example, it is used:

• as a washing agent in immunoassays, such as Western blots and ELISAs. It helps to prevent non-specific antibody binding. In this major application, it is dissolved in Tris-Buffered Saline or Phosphate buffered saline at dilutions of 0.05% to 0.5% v/v. These buffers are used for washes between each immunoreactions, to remove unbound immunologicals, and eventually for incubation solutions of immunoreagents (labeled antibodies) to reduce unspecific background.
• to saturate binding sites on surfaces (i.e., to coat polystyrene microplates, generally combined to proteins such as BSA).
• to stabilize proteins purified protein derivative (PPD) solution used in skin testing for tuberculosis exposure
• as a solubilizing agent of membrane proteins
• for lysing mammalian cells, at a concentration of 0.05% to 0.5% v/v, generally combined to other detergents, salts and additives.