Clariflow Microfiltration Products Improve Protein Recovery, Reduce Filtration Time
With downstream processing consuming up to 60% of the costs associated with producing biotech products, every incremental improvement in protein recovery is welcome. Filtration media, in particular, can be a source of considerable protein loss due to sticking. Clariflow polyethersulfone (PES) membrane cartridges and capsules from PTI Technologies (Newbury Park, CA) have an extremely low affinity for protein, making makes these filters ideal for the cold sterilization of protein-laden solutions such as ascites fluid, fermentation broth, and diagnostic reagents. Since less protein is withheld by the filter, more winds up in the filtrate, giving a higher overall process yield. This is extremely important for fermentions used to make therapeutics, or where monoclonal antibodies are produced for the manufacture of diagnostic test kits.
One of PTI's customers recently switched to 0.2 µm Clariflow capsules for their process after discovering that the PTI products increased their antibody yield by about 20%. (They had been using competitive 0.2 µm capsules with a different PES membrane that was also marketed as low protein-binding). Testing has shown Clariflow PES to be much lower in protein binding than other polymeric membranes, including this other competitive PES product (see Fig. 1).
Combined with a low protein-binding nature, Clariflow membrane exhibits some of the fastest fluid flow rates available among hydrophilic membranes (Fig. 2). This is due to the unique, mirrored anisotropic morphology that minimizes restriction to flow (Fig. 3). In addition, Clariflow membrane has a built-in prefiltration layer upstream of the central region where the absolute cut-off pores exist. By being situated in the middle of the membrane, these smallest pores are protected from minor surface damage that might occur during pleating of the membrane, manufacture into cartridges, or sterilization of the filters during use. This lessens the likelihood of an integrity failure during actual use and the scrapped batches of product that would result.
For more information: PTI Technologies, 950 Rancho Conejo Blvd. Newbury Park, CA 91320. Tel: 805-499-2661. Fax: 805-375-2296.