BIOPROCESSING USING BIORECEPTOR FERROFLUIDS AND HGMS

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR INDUSTRY SCALE AFFINITY SEPARATIONS EMPLOYING PROPRIETARY BIO- RECEPTOR FERROFLUIDS (BR-FF) IN COMBINATION WITH EXISTING HIGH GRADIENT MAGNETIC SEPARATORS (HGMS) AND IMPROVED SYSTEMS CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED. BR-FF ARE BEING USED SUCCESSFULLY FOR DOING IMMUNOASSAYS AND TOGETHER THEY REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD IN THE FIELD OFFERING NUMEROUS ADVANTAGES OVER PRIOR SYSTEMS. THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO DETERMINE IF BR-FF AS CURRENTLY SYNTHESIZED OR AS SYNTHESIZED BY RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD MODIFICATION CAN WITHSTAND THE RIGORS OF DESORPTION (LOW PH, DENATURANTS, CHAOTROPIC IONS) AND RECYCLING. AFFINITY SEPARATIONS CURRENTLY PLAY A MINOR ROLE IN BIOPROCESSING, IN PART BECAUSE OF COST AND THE NATURE OF AFFINITY SUPPORTS (PARTICLES OR MEMBRANES) WHICH ARE CONSTRAINED TO BATCH MODE AND ULTRA-CLEAN SOLUTIONS. BR- FF AND HGMS OFFERS THE POTENTIAL FOR CONTINUOUS AFFINITY SEPARATION WHICH CAN FUNCTION IN THE PRESENCE OF MAJOR SOLUTION CONTAMINANTS INCLUDING SOLIDS; THUS A NEW BIOPROCESSING TECHNOLOGY WHICH ALSO REQUIRES SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER PROCESSING STEPS POSSIBLE.