Patent ID: 8436104

Claim:
A method for conjugating a biological molecule to a comb polymer, wherein the biological molecule is a protein, polypeptide, carbohydrate, fat or nucleic acid and the comb polymer is produced by a method comprising the steps of: (a) providing: (i) a plurality of monomers which are linear, branched or star-shaped, substituted or non-substituted, and have an olefinically unsaturated moiety, the olefinically unsaturated moiety being capable of undergoing addition polymerization, wherein the monomers comprise alkoxy polyethers; (ii) an initiator compound; the initiator compound comprising a homolytically cleavable bond, wherein said initiator compound comprises an optionally protected moiety which when attached to the comb polymer is capable of binding to the biological molecule; (iii) a catalyst capable of catalyzing the polymerization of the monomer; (b) causing the catalyst to catalyze, in combination with the initiator, the polymerization of a plurality of the monomers to produce the comb polymer; and (c) if the moiety of step (a)(ii) is protected, deprotecting the moiety; said method comprising the step of reacting the biological molecule with the comb polymer, thereby conjugating the biological molecule with the comb polymer.