Sugar binding surface

1 . A method to immobilise at least one type of carbohydrate molecule comprising the steps of:

i) providing a monomer source;

ii) creating a plasma of said monomer;

iii) coating a surface with said plasma to provide a plasma polymer coated surface; and

iv) contacting said polymer coated surface with at least one type of carbohydrate molecule wherein the carbohydrate molecule is in its native form.

2 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carbohydrate is passively adsorbed to the plasma polymer coated surface.

3 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carbohydrate is provided as a solution comprising at least one carbohydrate molecule.

4 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the monomer is a volatile alcohol.

5 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the monomer is a volatile amine.

6 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the monomer is a volatile hydrocarbon.

7 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the monomer is a volatile acid.

8 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface comprises a polymer comprising a nitrogen content of at least 2%.

9 . A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the nitrogen content is 2-20%.

10 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface comprises a polymer comprising a nitrogen content greater than 20%.

11 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the monomer contains a hydroxyl, amino or carboxylic acid group.

12 . A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the monomer is allylamine.

13 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the monomer has a vapour pressure of at least 6.6×1 0-2 mbar at ambient room temperature.

14 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plasma polymer is deposited from a plasma of WIFM of <10 9 J/kg and ideally <10 8 J/Kg and more ideally <107 J/Kg.

15 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises an amine co-polymer.

16 . A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the co-polymer is prepared by the plasma polymerisation of an organic amine with a saturated (alkane) or unsaturated (alkene, diene or alkyne) hydrocarbon of up to 20 carbons.

17 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carbohydrate is a homopolysaccharide.

18 . A method as claimed in claims 1 wherein the carbohydrate is a heteropolysaccharide.

19 . A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the heteropolysaccharide is a glycosaminoglycan.

20 . A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein the glycosaminoglycan is selected from the group consisting of: hyaluronan; dermatan sulfate; chondroitin sulphate; heparin; heparan sulphate; or keratan sulphate.

21 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface is part of a biosensor.

22 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface is part of a therapeutic vehicle.

23 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface is part of a device wherein said device is used in the collection of biological samples from an animal, preferably a human.

24 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface is part of an affinity purification matrix.

25 . A method as claimed in claims 1 wherein the surface is part of a micro array.

26 . A biosensor comprising a surface obtainable by the method as claimed in claim 1 .

27 . A therapeutic vehicle comprising a surface obtainable by the method as claimed in claim 1 .

28 . A sample collection device comprising a surface obtainable by the method as claimed in claim 1 .

29 . An affinity purification matrix comprising a surface obtainable by the method as claimed in claim 1 .

30 . A microarray comprising a surface obtainable by the method as claimed in claim 1 .

31 . A surface obtainable by plasma polymerisation to which is immobilised at least one type of carbohydrate molecule wherein the carbohydrate molecule is in its native form.

32 . A surface as claimed in claim 31 wherein the carbohydrate molecule is passively adsorbed to the surface.