🌟 It nearly doubles saccharide recovery rates, achieving purities above 99%.
🔧 This 3D-printed membrane efficiently separates sugars from nucleosides.
📈 Researchers aim to optimize the system further for larger glycans and consider cost-effective membrane options.
Introduction:
The article discusses a breakthrough in the purification of glycans using a newly developed single-pass nanofilter created by researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), aimed at addressing challenges faced by biopharmaceutical manufacturers in processing oligosaccharide/nucleoside mixtures. This innovative approach promises higher recovery rates and purities in glycan products, which are critical for various biopharmaceutical applications.
- The new nanofilter utilizes a continuous, single-pass double-membrane design that significantly improves purification efficiency, nearly doubling the saccharide recovery rate and achieving product purities exceeding 99%.
- Developed using 3D printing technology, the nanofiltration membrane has a molecular weight cut-off between 300 and 500 Da, allowing it to effectively separate sugars from nucleosides.
- The researchers addressed the challenge of concentration polarization affecting yields by designing a static mixer that enhanced fluid dispersion around the membrane surface.
- Critical factors such as buffer choice and membrane material have been identified, with charges in buffer impacting separation efficiency compared to conventional methods.
- Future research aims to optimize the setup for larger glycans and enhance cost efficiency through modular filtration units that can operate in parallel, reducing downtime and operational pressures.
Conclusion:
This advancement in single-pass nanofiltration technology demonstrates a significant step forward in the purification of oligosaccharides and nucleosides, offering biopharmaceutical companies a potential method for improving product recovery and purity. As the researchers explore further optimizations, this method could lead to more efficient bioprocessing techniques, benefiting the pharmaceutical industry and expanding the possibilities in glycobiology.
