A 20-40 mum pellicular high density (similar to3.7 g cm(-3)) expanded bed m
aterial has been designed for the capture of DNA and other large macromolec
ules. Anion exchangers fashioned out of these supports exhibited dramatical
ly enhanced DNA binding capacities over commercial anion exchange adsorbent
s (6 mg ml(-1), c.f. similar to 50 mug ml(-1) at 10% breakthrough), due to
a combination of small particle and 'fuzzy' surface architecture created th
rough the coupling of polyethylene imine chains.