Chromatography medium
The present invention provides a chromatography medium comprising one or more electrospun polymer nanofibres which in use form a stationary phase comprising a plurality of pores through which a mobile phase can permeate and use of the same.
1. A chromatography medium comprising one or more electrospun polymer nanofibres wherein the electrospun polymer nanofibers are fused together at points where the nanofibers intersect one another, and which in use form a stationary phase comprising a plurality of pores through which a mobile phase can permeate, and wherein the chromatography medium has affinity chromatography protein ligand surface functionality interactive with target molecules.
2. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the stationary phase is in the form of a membrane.
3. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the affinity chromatography protein ligand surface functionality comprises a Protein A ligand, Protein G ligand, Protein A/G ligand, or Protein L ligand.
4. The medium according to claim 3 , wherein the affinity chromatography protein ligand surface functionality comprises a Protein A ligand.
5. The medium according to claim 2 , wherein the membrane has a thickness of 100 μm to 1 mm.
6. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the nanofibres are non-woven nanofibres.
7. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from: nylon, poly(acrylic acid), polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene and polyethylene oxide.
8. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is cellulose.
9. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer nanofibres may be covalently cross-linked.
10. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the nanofibres have a diameter of 10 nm to 1000 nm.
11. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the nanofibres have a diameter of 200 nm to 800 nm.
12. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the nanofibres have a diameter of 300 nm to 400 nm.
13. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the mean length of nanofibres is greater than 10 cm.
14. The medium according to claim 1 , wherein the pores have a diameter of 10 nm to 10 μm.
15. The medium according to claim 14 , wherein the pores have a narrow size distribution.
16. A chromatography method using the medium according to claim 1 .
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the chromatography is affinity capture chromatography.
18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the medium is used to isolate biological molecules from the mobile phase.
19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the biological molecules have a molecular weight of 1 kDa to 200 kDa.
20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the biological molecules have a molecular weight of 10 kDa to 100 kDa.
21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the biological molecules are selected from the group comprising: recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, viral vaccines and plasmid DNA.
22. The method according to claim 16 , wherein a simulated moving bedsystem is employed.
23. A cartridge for use in chromatography comprising:
two or more membranes including the medium according to claim 2 arranged in series; and
a holding member to fix the membranes in place relative to one another.