What ist SPOT synthesis?
The SPOT method was developed by Ronald Frank for simultaneous multiple peptide synthesis on separate sites on a homogeneous membrane carrier. The principle of the technique is to dispense small droplets of preactivated amino acid derivatives onto a predefined array of positions on a porous membrane. The droplets get absorbed and form individual reaction compartments for chemical reaction in solid phase synthesis. A great number of distinct spots can be arranged on a large membrane sheet and each of these is individually addressable by manual or automated delivery of the respective reagent solution. The number of spots per area and the spot size are determined by the absorptive capacity of the membrane and the volume of the drops. According to the specific functionality of the matrix, the spot size correlates with the particular scale of the synthesis. The membrane originally used by Ronald Frank is still the most popular support, made from derivatized cellulose filter paper.
