REVOLVER: A low-cost automated protein purifier based on parallel preparative gravity column workflows

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Life Sciences
• Protein Engineering

Background:

• Protein purification is essential for recombinant protein characterization.
• Current automated systems are expensive and closed-source, limiting throughput.
• There is a need for scalable, accessible automated protein purification solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, open-source automated protein purification system.
• To enable high-throughput protein purification for characterization and engineering.
• To present a scalable system for parallel purification of multiple samples.

Main Methods:

• Design and construction of REVOLVER, a 3D-printed programmable protein purification system using Arduino.
• Implementation of gravity-column workflows for automated protein purification.
• Development of MULTI-VOLVER, a scalable version for parallel purification of up to six samples.

Main Results:

• REVOLVER provides automated protein purification with minimal human intervention.
• Purification results from REVOLVER are comparable to those from experienced biochemists.
• MULTI-VOLVER allows for parallel purification of multiple samples at a low cost.

Conclusions:

• REVOLVER and MULTI-VOLVER offer affordable, accessible solutions for automated protein purification.
• These systems can accelerate protein purification workflows and facilitate integration with bio-foundries.
• The developed systems democratize access to high-throughput protein characterization and engineering tools.