Fast separation of native proteins using sub-2 μm nonporous silica particles in a chromatographic cake

Biomed Chromatogr. 2014 Aug;28(8):1102-11. doi: 10.1002/bmc.3126.

Abstract

A novel method for the fast separation of native proteins was investigated using sub-2 μm nonporous silica packing inside a chromatographic cake having a diameter much larger than its thickness. Various silica-based particles ranging from 630 nm to 1.2 μm were synthesized and chemically modified with polyethylene glycol 600. The packing material was laterally packed into a series of chromatographic cakes containing the same diameter (10mm) and different thicknesses, ranging from 2 to 10 mm, and tested by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The results showed that the sub-2 μm NPS particles in a small chromatographic cake were found to have a high efficiency at a flow rate of 10 mL/min and a backpressure of <20 MPa. The effect of the thickness of the chromatographic cake on the resolution of the proteins was also investigated and it was found that too short a column length could dramatically decrease the protein resolution; the minimum column length was also qualitatively evaluated. The presented method is expected to be useful for routine analysis of native and/or intact proteins in hospitals and as a tool for the fast screening protein drugs and optimization of experimental laboratory conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromatography, Liquid / instrumentation*
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Porosity
  • Pressure
  • Proteins / chemistry
  • Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Silicon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Proteins
  • Silicon Dioxide