Protein Purification and Bioprocessing
Protein Purification and Bioprocessing
The story of protein purification has many starting points from the discovery of proteins to the origins of chromatography. The term chromatography was first used in the early years of the last century by the Russian botanist, Michael Twsett (b 1872 - d 1919).
Twsett used chromatography columns packed with calcium carbonate and petrol, ether, and ethanol mixtures to separate chlorophylls and carotenoids.
The first modern chromatography medium was invented fifty years after Twsett’s pioneering work. In 1959, Pharmacia (now GE Healthcare) developed cross-linked dextran, which later became known as Sephadex. Sephadex paved the way for chromatographic techniques to develop in parallel with protein discovery and the production of modern biopharmaceuticals.
High Flow Chromatography Media Meet Today's Demands
Today, monoclonal antibodies, hormones, vaccines, and plasma proteins are on the market or in development. Their upstream production relies on genetically engineered organisms followed by downstream processes, which typically involves products that are the successors of Sephadex media.
The high titers produced with genetically engineered expression systems have driven the development of high-flow chromatography media such as Capto and MabSelect. By combining high capacity with rigidity to give excellent process economy, these media have characteristics that are essential for today’s biopharmaceutical industry.
Read Further
Typically, a combination of separation techniques such as chromatography, filtration, and precipitation, is used to assure the quantity, quality, and desired purity of the protein target.
The development of generic purification strategies has revolutionized protein purification by offering speed and simplicity at all scales.
Developing biomanufacturing processes is a complex task of balancing the quality (purity) of the product with process robustness.
The trend towards cheaper and more effective biomanufacturing has led to an era of more cost-effective solutions such as platform technologies and single-use technology.
