Porous membranes have been developed by photo-polymerisation-induced phase separation of a monomer/solvent mixture. Characterised by a large open surface area reaching up to about 50 m(2)/g, these membranes are suitable for flow through biosensor applications in the field of molecular diagnostics. The effects of the polymerisation conditions and the phase separation on the resulting structures are discussed. SEM analysis and BET surface area measurements revealed that morphology can be well controlled by adjusting monomer concentration and UV intensity. Membranes functionalised with epoxy and amine groups show high coupling efficiency of oligo-DNA and large hybridisation efficiency. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.