Biotin- and glycoprotein-coated microspheres: potential surrogates for studying filtration of cryptosporidium parvum in porous media.

Cryptosporidium parvum is a waterborne pathogen, yet no suitable surrogate has been established for quantifying its filtration removal in porous media. Carboxyl polystyrene microspheres with size, density, and shape similar to C. parvum were coated with biotin (free and containing amine, NH(2)) and glycoprotein.