MICROFILTRATION MEMBRANES AS PSEUDO-AFFINITY ADSORBENTS - MODIFICATION AND COMPARISON WITH GEL BEADS

Microfiltration membranes were studied as alternative adsorbents to the usual spherical hydrogels beads for the purification of proteins. Assumption of monolayer adsorption onto the internal area allowed the capacity measured by adsorption of model proteins to be predicted. The membrane could be modified with triazine dyes to yield an affinity-like support. The capacity of the dyed membrane was similar to the capacity of dyed Sepharose and the membrane could be used repeatedly. Enzymes from a crude extract of baker's yeast were selectively adsorbed in both batch and continuous experiments, allowing purification factors of at least ten.