Emergence of ideal membrane cascades for downstream processing
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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Spontaneous Formation and Rearrangement of Artificial Lipid Nanotube Networks as a Bottom-Up Model for Endoplasmic Reticulum
Published on: January 22, 2019
Edwin N Lightfoot1, Thatcher W Root, Jane L O'Dell
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. lightfoot@engr.wisc.edu
Abstract:
An algorithm is developed for describing ideal membrane cascades for fractionation of binary and pseudo-binary mixtures. It is shown that solvent management plays a key role in determining both purification and yield. Development of efficient diafilters is needed if membrane cascades are to achieve their full potential in competing with both chromatography and simulated moving bed operations in downstream processing of proteins. Such a replacement will also be important for fractionation of higher titers and larger substrates, such as plasmids, viruses, and even whole cells.
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