Chromatography modelling to describe protein adsorption at bead level

Area of Science:

• Biochemical Engineering
• Separation Science
• Chromatography

Background:

• Current chromatographic models assume uniform parameters, limiting accuracy.
• Advances in software and hardware enable bead-level analysis.
• Heterogeneity in bead and packed bed structure affects separation behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a bead-level model for simulating protein loading in microfluidic chromatography columns.
• To investigate the impact of bead size and packed bed heterogeneity on protein behavior.
• To provide a detailed description of flow field and mass transfer phenomena at the bead level.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel model for simulating protein loading at the bead level.
• Incorporated heterogeneity in bead sizes within the model.
• Accounted for spatial variations in packed bed characteristics like void fraction and dispersion.

Main Results:

• The developed model accurately simulates protein loading in 1.5 μl microfluidic columns.
• Simulations demonstrated good agreement with published experimental data.
• The model provides a detailed understanding of flow and mass transfer at the bead scale.

Conclusions:

• Bead-level modeling is crucial for understanding chromatographic separations with heterogeneous structures.
• This model enhances the description of biological species behavior during chromatography.
• The approach offers a more accurate and detailed simulation of chromatography in microfluidic systems.