Target protein separation and preparation by free-flow electrophoresis coupled with charge-to-mass ratio analysis.

Herein, a novel strategy was developed to separate and prepare target protein from complex sample by free-flow electrophoresis (FFE), which mainly based on the charge-to-mass ratio (C/M) analysis of proteins. The C/M values of three model proteins, namely Cytochrome C (Cyt C), myoglobin (Mb) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were analyzed under different pH and the separation of these proteins was predicted by CLC Protein Workbench software. Series of experiments were performed to validate the proposed method.

A simple and highly stable free-flow electrophoresis device with thermoelectric cooling system.

Complex assembly, inconvenient operations, poor control of Joule heating and leakage of solution are still fundamental issues greatly hindering application of free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) for preparative purpose in bio-separation. To address these issues, a novel FFE device was developed based on our previous work. Firstly, a new mechanical structure was designed for compact assembly of separation chamber, fast removal of air bubble, and good anti-leakage performance.