[bialy]

Can an NHS ester react with an amide to form a covalent bond?
I would like to know if a crosslinker with an NHS ester can react with a poly(acrylamide) gel.

[bialy]

this is not a homework question, rather something I am dealing with in lab!
I was assuming the amide should be stable and cannot react with the NHS ester. I am wondering if there are any mechanisms by which the amide can be nucleophilic enough to attack the NHS ester and react with it? I do not think there are any other groups present in the polyacrylamide gel that could react with the NHS ester.
Thank you!