Highly specific colloidal ɣ-Fe₂O₃-DNA hybrids: From bioinspired recognition to large-scale lactoferrin purification

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Industrial magnetic separation is limited by nanoparticle availability and characteristics.
• Developing scalable, efficient nanoparticles is crucial for transferring lab techniques to industry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a bio-inspired recognition system using Surface Active Maghemite Nanoparticles (SAMNs) for lactoferrin (LF) purification.
• To demonstrate the scalability and industrial feasibility of SAMN-based purification systems.

Main Methods:

• Surface functionalization of maghemite nanoparticles with DNA to create a SAMN@DNA hybrid.
• Optimization of a self-assembly process for stable SAMN@DNA formation with LF specificity.
• Testing the SAMN@DNA system for affinity purification of LF from crude bovine whey.

Main Results:

• The SAMN@DNA hybrid exhibited high selectivity and loading capacity for LF.
• Achieved outstanding LF purity (96 ± 1%) with preserved protein conformation.
• Demonstrated scalability via an automatic system capable of purifying 100 liters/day of whey.
• Highlighted nanoparticle re-usability and short operational times.

Conclusions:

• SAMN@DNA represents an efficient, reusable, and scalable solution for industrial lactoferrin purification.
• The developed system meets essential prerequisites for industrialization, including high efficiency and feasibility.
• This bio-inspired approach overcomes previous limitations in nanoparticle-based magnetic separation for bioprocessing.