ABSTRACT
This chapter overviews matrices and activation processes employed in cell studies. Three factors are involved in the choice of an appropriate matrix for any solid-phase biochemical procedure, whether it be affinity chromatography, enzyme immobilization, or the immobilization of whole cells. Those three factors are the mechanical, chemical, and biological properties of the matrix. In cell adhesion and immobilization a somewhat broader group of matrices has been studied with reasonable diligence. Matrices for all aspects of solid-phase biochemistry are most easily considered when they are divided into various categories with similar properties. Naturally occurring matrices can further be divided into two subclasses, those of organic origin, often consisting of various polysaccharides, and those that are inorganic, consisting of various minerals that have been processed to yield the proper shape and size. No single activation method, just as no single matrix, will give a complete solution to all matrix problems.
