A metal-chelating polymer for chelating zirconium and its use in mass cytometry

•A metal-chelating polymer was synthesized with deferoxamine, polyethylene glycol, and fluorescein pendant groups and a biotin end-group.•The metal-chelating polymer was labeled with Zr, and then the polymer was conjugated to streptavidin-coated polymeric microspheres.•The Zr chelating polymers conjugated to the polymeric microspheres was imaged using Imaging Mass Cytometry™ and epifluorescence microscopy.