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LASSO: A universal, molecular fishing net for isolation of biomolecules
The isolation of specific molecules from complex biological samples is crucial in healthcare and life sciences. Yet, many isolation methods are slow, expensive, and suffer from incomplete removal of contaminants. A research team led by Dr. Elisha Krieg at the IPF has now developed LASSO (crossLink-Assisted Sequence-Selective isOlation), a new platform for sequence-selective biomolecule catch-and-release. The work was published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition on December 18, 2025.
LASSO uses complex DNA-based crosslinker libraries that self-assemble with a DNA-functionalized polymer (poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid)), thereby forming highly permeable molecular networks. These networks bind targets ultra-selectively and then phase-separate them from the solution. Unlike conventional biomolecule pulldown assays, LASSO does not involve any solid-liquid interfaces, which prevents nonspecific adsorption and carryover of contaminations. Moreover, LASSO does not require fragile and expensive recombinant proteins. Relying on a fully synthetic set of components makes LASSO more stable, allows prolonged storage and cold-chain-free shipping, which is particularly beneficial in resource-limited settings.
In the study, the team demonstrates high performance across diverse targets, including DNA, SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and human thrombin protein. LASSO was benchmarked against gold-standard kits for ribosomal RNA (rRNA) depletion, where it demonstrated an unprecedented level of specificity, substantially outperforming the state-of-the-art methods. LASSO is simple to use, supporting scale-up and standardized workflows in diagnostics, biomanufacturing, and academic research.
In the coming months, the inventors plan to expand LASSO’s validation with pilot users and advance commercialization through a planned spin-out, Dynamic Matrices. The team believes that LASSO will reshape how biomolecule purification is done across research and clinical settings, allowing fast, reliable biomolecule purification that becomes embedded in everyday workflows from academic labs to diagnostic facilities and beyond.
Publication details:
Versatile and Selective Biomolecule Pulldown with Combinatorial DNA-Crosslinked Polymers
Vielseitiger und selektiver Biomolekül-Pulldown mit kombinatorischen DNA-quervernetzten Polymeren
System and method for capturing, separating, and purifying biomolecules. Patent application, WO2025196123A1 (2025).
06.01.2026