Analysis of fouling within microporous membranes in biopharmaceutical applications

BIOT 215

Christina Bondy, Christina_Bondy@millipore.com, Millipore Corporation, 80 Ashby Road, Bedford, MA 02452 and Christopher Santeufemio.
A better understanding of how biological fluids foul membrane filters will allow membranes to be better designed and more appropriately chosen for the filtration of biopharmaceutical products. For this study, a model fluid has been developed to facilitate the study of membrane loading capacity and particle retention using normal flow, polymeric microporous membranes for liquid-phase sterile filtration. The model fluid approximates process fluids that have high loads of submicron particles (such as cell debris and agglomerated proteins), as found in cell culture harvests. Using this model fluid, foulants can be visualized within the membrane structure by advanced electron microscopy techniques, giving insight to where and in some cases how fouling occurs.
 

Poster Session
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Monday, August 18, 2008 Philadelphia Marriott -- Franklin 4 - 8, Poster

Division of Biochemical Technology

The 236th ACS National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, August 17-21, 2008