Chromatographic parameter determination for complex biological feedstocks.

The application of mechanistic models for chromatography requires accurate model parameters. Especially for complex feedstocks such as a clarified cell harvest, this can still be an obstacle limiting the use of mechanistic models. Another commonly encountered obstacle is a limited amount of sample material and time to determine all needed parameters.

Optimization of biopharmaceutical downstream processes supported by mechanistic models and artificial neural networks.

Downstream process development is a major area of importance within the field of bioengineering. During the design of such a downstream process, important decisions have to be made regarding the type of unit operations as well as their sequence and their operating conditions. Current computational approaches addressing these issues either show a high level of simplification or struggle with computational speed.

Comparison of activated chromatography resins for protein immobilization.

The adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to an immobilized camelid-derived antibody fragment was investigated using six different activated resins, of which two are prototypes. The resins differed in base material, coupling chemistry and particle size. The adsorption, washing and desorption stage of the affinity chromatography process were taken into account.

Production of human interleukin-3 using industrial microorganisms.

We expressed a cDNA encoding the multicolony stimulating factor interleukin-3 in a variety of cell types, including bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells. After evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of each potential system, we designed a production and purification scheme using Bacillus licheniformis. The purification consists of hydrophobic interaction chromatography, two steps of ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration.