Poly-L-Lysine is typically used as a coating substrate for culture dishes, slides, etc.

It can be used in conjugation to methotrexate for increased drug transport. For Microencapsulation of islets. It is also use in simple reproducible procedure for chromosomal preparations from a variety of tissues. For immobilation of living cells in biocompatible semipermeable microcapsules. In the preparation of polycationic beads. Conjugation to albumin and horseradish peroxidase to enhance cellular uptake.

Poly-lysine with mol. wt. >70,000 is useful in promoting cell adhesion to solid substrates.

All molecular weights are calculated from the viscosity of the parent compound Poly-epsilon-Z-L-Lysine.

Soluble in water (50 mg/ml). Dissolve 10 mg poly-L-lysine in 1 ml sterile, deionised water. This creates a 1% solution. Effective coating solution concentration for culture dishes will be 0,3 to 0,5% and for histology slides at 0,1%.