Convective interaction media short monolithic columns: enabling chromatographic supports for the separation and purification of large biomolecules

Biomanufacturing of glycosylated antibodies: Challenges, solutions, and future prospects

Traditionally, recombinant protein production has been done in several expression hosts of bacteria, fungi, and majorly CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cells; few have high production costs and are susceptible to harmful toxin contamination. Green algae have the potential to produce recombinant proteins in a more sustainable manner. Microalgal diversity leads to offer excellent opportunities to produce glycosylated antibodies. An antibody with humanized glycans plays a crucial role in cellular communication that works to regulate cells and molecules, to control disease, and to stimulate immunity. Therefore, it becomes necessary to understand the role of abiotic factors (light, temperature, pH, etc.) in the production of bioactive molecules and molecular mechanisms of product synthesis from microalgae which would lead to harnessing the potential of algal bio-refinery. However, the potential of microalgae as the source of bio-refinery has been less explored. In the present review, omics approaches for microalgal engineering, methods of humanized glycoproteins production focusing majorly on N-glycosylation pathways, light-based regulation of glycosylation machinery, and production of antibodies with humanized glycans in microalgae with a major emphasis on modulation of post-translation machinery of microalgae which might play a role in better understanding of microalgal potential as a source for antibody production along with future perspectives.

Chromatographic Purification of Viral Vectors for Gene Therapy Applications

Chromatography has been a mainstay in the downstream processing and purification of biopharmaceutical medicines. Until now, this has largely involved the purification of protein products such as recombinant enzymes and monoclonal antibodies using large-scale column chromatography methods. The development of advanced therapeutic medicinal products (ATMP) is heralding in a new era of therapeutics for a range of indications. These new therapeutics use diverse substances ranging from live stem cell preparations to fragments of nucleic acid enclosed in a viral delivery system. With these new technologies come new challenges in their purification. In this chapter, the challenges faced in producing and purifying viral vectors capable of delivering life-altering gene therapy to the patient will be discussed. Current methods of chromatography capable of adaptation to meet these new challenges and advancements that may be needed to increase the purification capabilities for these new products will also be discussed.

Potential and Scale-Up of Pore-Through-Flow Membrane Reactors for the Production of Prebiotic Galacto-Oligosaccharides with Immobilized β-Galactosidase

The production of prebiotics like galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) on industrial scale is becoming more important due to increased demand. GOS are synthesized in batch reactors from bovine lactose using the cost intensive enzyme β-galactosidase (β-gal). Thus, the development of sustainable and more efficient production strategies, like enzyme immobilization in membrane reactors are a promising option. Activated methacrylatic monoliths were characterized as support for covalent immobilized β-gal to produce GOS. The macroporous monoliths act as immobilized pore-through-flow membrane reactors (PTFR) and reduce the influence of mass-transfer limitations by a dominating convective pore flow. Monolithic designs in the form of disks (0.34 mL) and for scale-up cylindric columns (1, 8 and 80 mL) in three different reactor operation configurations (semi-continuous, continuous and continuous with recirculation) were studied experimentally and compared to the free enzyme system. Kinetic data, immobilization efficiency, space-time-yield and long-term stability were determined for the immobilized enzyme. Furthermore, simulation studies were conducted to identify optimal operation conditions for further scale-up. Thus, the GOS yield could be increased by up to 60% in the immobilized PTFRs in semi-continuous operation compared to the free enzyme system. The enzyme activity and long-time stability was studied for more than nine months of intensive use.

Macroporous Polymer Monoliths in Thin Layer Format

Nowadays, macroporous polymer monoliths represent widely used stationary phases for a number of dynamic interphase mass exchange processes such as high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, electrochromatography, solid-phase extraction, and flow-through solid-state biocatalysis. This review represents the first summary in the field of current achievements on the preparation of macroporous polymer monolithic layers, as well as their application as solid phases for thin-layer chromatography and different kinds of microarray.

Lentiviral Vector Bioprocessing

Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are potent tools for the delivery of genes of interest into mammalian cells and are now commonly utilised within the growing field of cell and gene therapy for the treatment of monogenic diseases and adoptive therapies such as chimeric antigen T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. This is a comprehensive review of the individual bioprocess operations employed in LV production. We highlight the role of envelope proteins in vector design as well as their impact on the bioprocessing of lentiviral vectors. An overview of the current state of these operations provides opportunities for bioprocess discovery and improvement with emphasis on the considerations for optimal and scalable processing of LV during development and clinical production. Upstream culture for LV generation is described with comparisons on the different transfection methods and various bioreactors for suspension and adherent producer cell cultivation. The purification of LV is examined, evaluating different sequences of downstream process operations for both small- and large-scale production requirements. For scalable operations, a key focus is the development in chromatographic purification in addition to an in-depth examination of the application of tangential flow filtration. A summary of vector quantification and characterisation assays is also presented. Finally, the assessment of the whole bioprocess for LV production is discussed to benefit from the broader understanding of potential interactions of the different process options. This review is aimed to assist in the achievement of high quality, high concentration lentiviral vectors from robust and scalable processes.

A frontal analysis combined with a simultaneous chromatographic analysis of macromolecules using a single chromatographic system

A chromatographic system was adapted to allow monitoring of eluent of preparative column via absorbance and with the chromatographic analysis of the target macromolecule on the same chromatographic system. The proposed approach was tested on important macromolecules, such as monoclonal antibodies, monoclonal antibody aggregates and plasmid DNA (pDNA). A frontal analysis was made on the preparative column, while a chromatographic on-line analysis was performed by sequentially injecting the preparative column outlet on a convection-based analytical column, operating on the same chromatographic system. Cation and/or anion exchangers were used as the chromatographic media (along with a protein A), depending on the sample to be purified. The method was found to be robust and reproducible. To adjust the limit of detection, an algorithm varying the number of injections was used, enabling accurate monitoring of an early breakthrough for concentrations below 1% of the feed concentration. The accuracy varies according to the applied flow rate, but it is typically in the range of few percent, or even below. Due to its simplicity and flexibility, the proposed method can be easily adapted to a pharmaceutical environment.

Opportunities to debottleneck the downstream processing of the oncolytic measles virus

Oncolytic viruses (including measles virus) offer an alternative approach to reduce the high mortality rate of late-stage cancer. Several measles virus strains infect and lyse cancer cells efficiently, but the broad application of this therapeutic concept is hindered by the large number of infectious particles required (10⁸-10¹² TCID₅₀ per dose). The manufacturing process must, therefore, achieve high titers of oncolytic measles virus (OMV) during upstream production and ensure that the virus product is not damaged during purification by applying appropriate downstream processing (DSP) unit operations. DSP is currently a production bottleneck because there are no specific platforms for OMV. Infectious OMV must be recovered as intact, enveloped particles, and host cell proteins and DNA must be reduced to acceptable levels to meet regulatory guidelines that were developed for virus-based vaccines and gene therapy vectors. Handling such high viral titers and process volumes is technologically challenging and expensive. This review considers the state of the art in OMV purification and looks at promising DSP technologies. We discuss here the purification of other enveloped viruses where such technologies could also be applied to OMV. The development of DSP technologies tailored for enveloped viruses is necessary to produce sufficient titers for virotherapy, which could offer hope to millions of patients suffering from incurable cancer.

Characterisation of aptamer-anchored poly(EDMA-co-GMA) monolith for high throughput affinity binding

Immobilisation of aptameric ligands on solid stationary supports for effective binding of target molecules requires understanding of the relationship between aptamer-polymer interactions and the conditions governing the mass transfer of the binding process. Herein, key process parameters affecting the molecular anchoring of a thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) onto polymethacrylate monolith pore surface, and the binding characteristics of the resulting macroporous aptasensor were investigated. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the TBA-thrombin binding indicated enhanced Guanine 4 (G4) structural stability of TBA upon interaction with thrombin in an ionic environment. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses were used to characterise the available functional groups and thermo-molecular stability of the immobilised polymer generated with Schiff-base activation and immobilisation scheme. The initial degradation temperature of the polymethacrylate stationary support increased with each step of the Schiff-base process: poly(Ethylene glycol Dimethacrylate-co-Glycidyl methacrylate) or poly(EDMA-co-GMA) [196.0 °C (±1.8)]; poly(EDMA-co-GMA)-Ethylenediamine [235.9 °C (±6.1)]; poly(EDMA-co-GMA)-Ethylenediamine-Glutaraldehyde [255.4 °C (±2.7)]; and aptamer-modified monolith [273.7 °C (±2.5)]. These initial temperature increments reflected in the associated endothermic energies were determined with differential scanning calorimetry. The aptameric ligand density obtained after immobilisation was 480 pmol/μL. Increase in pH and ionic concentration affected the surface charge distribution and the binding characteristics of the aptamer-modified disk-monoliths, resulting in the optimum binding pH and ionic concentration of 8.0 and 5 mM Mg²⁺, respectively. These results are critical in understanding and setting parametric constraints indispensable to develop and enhance the performance of aptasensors.

Size-selective purification of hepatitis B virus-like particle in flow-through chromatography: Types of ion exchange adsorbent and grafted polymer architecture

Hepatitis B virus-like particles expressed in Escherichia coli were purified using anion exchange adsorbents grafted with polymer poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) in flow-through chromatography mode. The virus-like particles were selectively excluded, while the relatively smaller sized host cell proteins were absorbed. The exclusion of virus-like particles was governed by the accessibility of binding sites (the size of adsorbents and the charge of grafted dextran chains) as well as the architecture (branch-chain length) of the grafted polymer. The branch-chain length of grafted polymer was altered by changing the type of monomers used. The larger adsorbent (90 μm) had an approximately twofold increase in the flow-through recovery, as compared to the smaller adsorbent (30 μm). Generally, polymer-grafted adsorbents improved the exclusion of the virus-like particles. Overall, the middle branch-chain length polymer grafted on larger adsorbent showed optimal performance at 92% flow-through recovery with a purification factor of 1.53. A comparative study between the adsorbent with dextran grafts and the polymer-grafted adsorbent showed that a better exclusion of virus-like particles was achieved with the absorbent grafted with inert polymer. The grafted polymer was also shown to reduce strong interaction between binding sites and virus-like particles, which preserved the particles' structure.

Enhanced detection of pathogenic enteric viruses in coastal marine environment by concentration using methacrylate monolithic chromatographic supports paired with quantitative PCR

Currently, around 50% of the world's population lives in towns and cities within 100 km of the coast. Monitoring of viruses that are frequently present in contaminated coastal environments, such as rotavirus (RoV) and norovirus (NoV), which are also the major cause of human viral gastroenteritis, is essential to ensure the safe use of these water bodies. Since exposure to as few as 10-100 particles of RoV or NoV may induce gastrointestinal disease, there is a need to develop a rapid and sensitive diagnostic method for their detection in coastal water samples. In this study, we evaluate the application of methacrylate monolithic chromatographic columns, commercially available as convective interaction media (CIM^®), to concentrate pathogenic enteric viruses from saline water samples prior to virus quantification by one-step reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Using RoV and NoV as model enteric viruses, we present our results on the most effective viral concentration conditions from saline water matrices using butyl (C4) hydrophobic interaction monolithic support (CIM^® C4). C4 monolithic columns exhibit a good capacity to bind both RoV and NoV and both viruses can be eluted in a single step. Our protocol using a 1 ml C4 column enables processing of 400 ml saline water samples in less than 60 min and increases the sensitivity of RoV and NoV detection by approximately 50-fold and 10-fold respectively. The protocol was also scaled up using larger capacity 8 ml C4 columns to process 4000 ml of seawater samples with concentration factors of 300-fold for RoV and 40-fold for NoV, without any significant increase in processing time. Furthermore, C4 monolithic columns were adapted for field use in an on-site application of RoV concentration from seawater samples with performance equivalent to that of the reference laboratory setup. Overall, the results from successful deployment of CIM C4 columns for concentration of rotavirus and norovirus in seawater samples reiterate the utility of monolithic supports as efficient, scalable and modular preparative tools for processing environmental water samples to enhance viral detection using molecular methods.

Methacrylate Polymer Monoliths for Separation Applications

This review summarizes the development of methacrylate-based polymer monoliths for separation science applications. An introduction to monoliths is presented, followed by the preparation methods and characteristics specific to methacrylate monoliths. Both traditional chemical based syntheses and emerging additive manufacturing methods are presented along with an analysis of the different types of functional groups, which have been utilized with methacrylate monoliths. The role of methacrylate based porous materials in separation science in industrially important chemical and biological separations are discussed, with particular attention given to the most recent developments and challenges associated with these materials. While these monoliths have been shown to be useful for a wide variety of applications, there is still scope for exerting better control over the porous architectures and chemistries obtained from the different fabrication routes. Conclusions regarding this previous work are drawn and an outlook towards future challenges and potential developments in this vibrant research area are presented. Discussed in particular are the potential of additive manufacturing for the preparation of monolithic structures with pre-defined multi-scale porous morphologies and for the optimization of surface reactive chemistries.

A one-step preparation method of monolithic enzyme reactor for highly efficient sample preparation coupled to mass spectrometry-based proteomics studies

Mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to sample preparation and separation techniques has become a primary tool for proteomics studies. However, due to sample complexity, it is often challenging to achieve fast and efficient sample preparation prior to MS analysis. In recent decades, monolithic materials have been developed not only as chromatographic media, but also as efficient solid supports for immobilizing multiple types of affinity reagents. Herein, the N-acryloxysuccinimide-co-acrylamide-co-N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (NAS-AAm-Bis) monolith was fabricated within silanized 200 μm i.d. fused-silica capillaries and was used as an immobilized enzyme reactor (IMER). The column was conjugated with trypsin/Lys-C and Lys-N enzymes to allow enzymatic digestions to occur while protein mixture was loaded onto the IMER column followed by MS-based proteomics analysis. Similar MS signal and protein sequence coverage were observed using protein standard bovine serum albumin (BSA) compared to in-solution digestion. Furthermore, mouse serum, yeast, and human cell lysate samples were also subjected to enzymatic digestion by both IMER (in seconds to minutes) and conventional in solution digestion (overnight) for comparison in large-scale proteomics studies. Comparable protein identification results obtained by the two methods highlighted the potential of employing NAS-based IMER column for fast and highly efficient sample preparation for MS analysis in proteomics studies.

Improved virus purification processes for vaccines and gene therapy

The downstream processing of virus particles for vaccination or gene therapy is becoming a critical bottleneck as upstream titers keep improving. Moreover, the growing pressure to develop cost-efficient processes has brought forward new downstream trains. This review aims at analyzing the state-of-the-art in viral downstream purification processes, encompassing the classical unit operations and their recent developments. Emphasis is given to novel strategies for process intensification, such as continuous or semi-continuous systems based on multicolumn technology, opening up process efficiency. Process understanding in the light of the pharmaceutical quality by design (QbD) initiative is also discussed. Finally, an outlook of the upcoming breakthrough technologies is presented.

Adenovirus purification by two-column, size-exclusion, simulated countercurrent chromatography

Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) was successfully separated by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) using a simple, yet efficient, two-column, quasi-continuous, simulated moving-bed process operated in an open-loop configuration. The operating cycle is divided into two identical half-cycles, each of them consisting of the following sequence of sub-steps: (i) elution of the upstream column and direction of the effluent of the downstream column to waste; (ii) elution of the upstream column and redirection of its effluent to waste while the downstream column is fed with the clarified bioreaction bulk and its effluent collected as purified product; (iii) operation of the system as in step (i) but collecting the effluent of the downstream column as product; (iv) elution of the upstream column and direction of its effluent to waste while the flow through the downstream column is temporarily halted. Clearance of impurities, namely DNA and host cell protein (HCP), were experimentally assessed. The pilot-scale run yielded a virus recovery of 86%, and a clearance of 90% and 89% for DNA and HCP, respectively, without any fine tunning of the predetermined operating parameters. These figures compare very favorably against single-column batch chromatography for the same volume of size-exclusion resin. However, and most importantly, the virus yield was increased from 57% for the batch system to 86% for the two-column SEC process because of internal recycling of the mixed fractions of contaminated Ad5, even though the two-column process was operated strictly in an open-loop configuration. And last, but not least, the productivity was increased by 6-fold with the two-column process. In conclusion, the main drawbacks of size-exclusion chromatography, namely low productivity and low product titer, were overcome to a considerable extent by an innovative two-column configuration that keeps the mixed fractions inside the system at all times.

Purification and basic biochemical characterization of 19 recombinant plant peroxidase isoenzymes produced in Pichia pastoris

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A novel 2-step purification for recombinant HRP from P. pastrois was developed.

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Both purification steps are negative chromatography steps.

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The amount of N-glycosylation sites and the success in purification correlate.

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HRP isoenzymes differ significantly in substrate specificity and catalytic activity.

The plant enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is used in several important industrial and medical applications, of which especially biosensors and diagnostic kits describe an emerging field. Although there is an increasing demand for high amounts of pure enzyme preparations, HRP is still isolated from the plant as a mixture of different isoenzymes with different biochemical properties. Based on a recent next generation sequencing approach of the horseradish transcriptome, we produced 19 individual HRP isoenzymes recombinantly in the yeast Pichia pastoris. After optimizing a previously reported 2-step purification strategy for the recombinant isoenzyme HRP C1A by substituting an unfavorable size exclusion chromatography step with an anion exchange step using a monolithic column, we purified the 19 HRP isoenzymes with varying success. Subsequent basic biochemical characterization revealed differences in catalytic activity, substrate specificity and thermal stability of the purified HRP preparations. The preparations of the isoenzymes HRP A2A and HRP A2B were found to be highly interesting candidates for future applications in diagnostic kits with increased sensitivity.

A monolith purification process for virus-like particles from yeast homogenate

Monoliths are an alternative stationary phase format to conventional particle based media for large biomolecules. Conventional resins suffer from limited capacities and flow rates when used for viruses, virus-like particles (VLP) and other nanoplex materials. The monolith structure provides a more open pore structure to improve accessibility for these materials and better mass transport from convective flow and reduced pressure drops. To examine the performance of this format for bioprocessing we selected the challenging capture of a VLP from clarified yeast homogenate. Using a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae host it was found hydrophobic interaction based separation using a hydroxyl derivatised monolith had the best performance. The monolith was then compared to a known beaded resin method, where the dynamic binding capacity was shown to be three-fold superior for the monolith with equivalent 90% recovery of the VLP. To understand the impact of the crude feed material confocal microscopy was used to visualise lipid contaminants, deriving from the homogenised yeast. It was seen that the lipid formed a layer on top of the column, even after regeneration of the column with isopropanol, resulting in increasing pressure drops with the number of operational cycles. Removal of the lipid pre-column significantly reduces the amount and rate of this fouling process. Using Amberlite/XAD-4 beads around 70% of the lipid was removed, with a loss of VLP around 20%. Applying a reduced lipid feed versus an untreated feed further increased the dynamic binding capacity of the monolith from 0.11 mg/mL column to 0.25 mg/mL column.

High throughput isolation and glycosylation analysis of IgG-variability and heritability of the IgG glycome in three isolated human populations

All immunoglobulin G molecules carry N-glycans, which modulate their biological activity. Changes in N-glycosylation of IgG associate with various diseases and affect the activity of therapeutic antibodies and intravenous immunoglobulins. We have developed a novel 96-well protein G monolithic plate and used it to rapidly isolate IgG from plasma of 2298 individuals from three isolated human populations. N-glycans were released by PNGase F, labeled with 2-aminobenzamide and analyzed by hydrophilic interaction chromatography with fluorescence detection. The majority of the structural features of the IgG glycome were consistent with previous studies, but sialylation was somewhat higher than reported previously. Sialylation was particularly prominent in core fucosylated glycans containing two galactose residues and bisecting GlcNAc where median sialylation level was nearly 80%. Very high variability between individuals was observed, approximately three times higher than in the total plasma glycome. For example, neutral IgG glycans without core fucose varied between 1.3 and 19%, a difference that significantly affects the effector functions of natural antibodies, predisposing or protecting individuals from particular diseases. Heritability of IgG glycans was generally between 30 and 50%. The individual's age was associated with a significant decrease in galactose and increase of bisecting GlcNAc, whereas other functional elements of IgG glycosylation did not change much with age. Gender was not an important predictor for any IgG glycan. An important observation is that competition between glycosyltransferases, which occurs in vitro, did not appear to be relevant in vivo, indicating that the final glycan structures are not a simple result of competing enzymatic activities, but a carefully regulated outcome designed to meet the prevailing physiological needs.

Surfactant-bound monolithic columns for CEC

A novel anionic surfactant bound monolithic stationary phase based on 11-acrylaminoundecanoic acid is designed for CEC. The monolith possessing bonded undecanoyl groups (hydrophobic sites) and carboxyl groups (weak cationic ion-exchange sites) were evaluated as a mixed-mode stationary phase in CEC for the separation of neutral and polar solutes. Using a multivariate D-optimal design the composition of the polymerization mixture was modeled and optimized with five alkylbenzenes and seven alkyl phenyl ketones as test solutes. The D-optimal design indicates a strong dependence of electrochromatographic parameters on the concentration of 11-acrylaminoundecanoic acid monomer and porogen (water) in the polymerization mixture. A difference of 6, 8 and 13% RSD between the predicted and the experimental values in terms of efficiency, resolution and retention time, respectively, indeed confirmed that the proposed approach is practical. The physical (i.e. morphology, porosity and permeability) and chromatographic properties of the monolithic columns were thoroughly investigated. With the optimized monolithic column, high efficiency separation of N-methylcarbamates pesticides and positional isomers was successfully achieved. It appears that this type of mixed-mode monolith (containing both chargeable and hydrophobic sites) may have a great potential as a new generation of CEC stationary phase.

Surfactant-bound monolithic columns for separation of proteins in capillary high performance liquid chromatography

A surfactant-bound monolithic stationary phase based on the co-polymerization of 11-acrylamino-undecanoic acid (AAUA) is designed for capillary high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Using D-optimal design, the effect of the polymerization mixture (concentrations of monomer, crosslinker and porogens) on the chromatographic performance (resolution and analysis time) of the AAUA-EDMA monolithic column was evaluated. The polymerization mixture was optimized using three proteins as model test solutes. The D-optimal design indicates a strong dependence of chromatographic parameters on the concentration of porogens (1,4-butanediol and water) in the polymerization mixture. Optimized solutions for fast separation and high resolution separation, respectively, were obtained using the proposed multivariate optimization. Differences less than 6.8% between the predicted and the experimental values in terms of resolution and retention time indeed confirmed that the proposed approach is practical. Using the optimized column, fast separation of proteins could be obtained in 2.5 min, and a tryptic digest of myoglobin was successfully separated on the high resolution column. The physical properties (i.e., morphology, porosity and permeability) of the optimized monolithic column were thoroughly investigated. It appears that this surfactant-bound monolith may have a great potential as a new generation of capillary HPLC stationary phase.

Concentrating rotaviruses from water samples using monolithic chromatographic supports

Rotaviruses are the leading cause of diarrhoea in infants around the globe and, under certain conditions they can be present in drinking water sources and systems. Ingestion of 10-100 viral particles is enough to cause disease, emphasizing the need for sensitive diagnostic methods. In this study we have optimized the concentration of rotavirus particles using methacrylate monolithic chromatographic supports. Different surface chemistries and mobile phases were tested. A strong anion exchanger and phosphate buffer (pH 7) resulted in the highest recoveries after elution of the bound virus with 1M NaCl. Using this approach, rotavirus particles spiked in 1l volumes of tap or river water were efficiently concentrated. The developed concentration method in combination with a real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay detected rotavirus concentrations as low as 100 rotavirus particles/ml.

Methacrylate-based short monolithic columns: enabling tools for rapid and efficient analyses of biomolecules and nanoparticles

This review describes the novel chromatography stationary phase--a porous monolithic methacrylate-based polymer--in terms of the design of the columns and some of the features that make these columns attractive for the purification of large biomolecules. We first start with a brief summary of the characteristics of these large molecules (more precisely large proteins like immunoglobulins G and M, plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and viral particles), and a list of some of the problems that were encountered during the development of efficient purification processes. We then briefly describe the structure of the methacrylate-based monolith and emphasize the features which make them more than suitable for dealing with large entities. The highly efficient structure on a small scale can be transferred to a large scale without the need of making column modifications, and the various approaches of how this is accomplished are briefly presented in this paper. This is followed by presenting some of the examples from the bioprocess development schemes, where the implementation of the methacrylate-based monolithic columns has resulted in a very efficient and productive process. Following this, we move back to the analytical scale and demonstrate the efficiency of the monolithic column--where the mass transfer between the stationary and mobile phase is greatly enhanced--for the in-process and final control of the new therapeutics. The combination of an efficient structure and the appropriate hardware results in separations of proteins with residence time less than 0.1 s.