Forced-flow electrophoresis of proteins and viruses.
This article describes a model for forced-flow electrophoresis (FFE), considering the desired species fraction removal, other fraction removals, and outlet concentrations of all species in the system. The model predicts the necessary inlet flow rate of the retentate chamber and the rate of filtration and the voltage gradient and also provides an appropriate heat balance permitting consideration of possible heat denaturation of the species. The equipment consists of two membranes and a filter, the electric field being imposed by means of external electrodes, and two fractions are obtainable. The main discriminating factor is not the pore sizes of the filter but the relative solute ionization, which depends on the pH and the ionic strength of the buffer solution. Serum proteins (albumin, gamma-globulin) and bacteriophages (M13, MS2, phiX174) have been used to characterize the separation process.
Mullon
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Biological Transport Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Washington University, Box 1198, St Louis, Missouri 63130.
Mason
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Sparks
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