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Du Z, Qiu S, Gill K, Toprani V, Zydney AL. Filtration of a multi-serotype glycoconjugate vaccine drug product through sterilizing grade 0.2/0.22 µm pore size filters. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300450. [PMID: 38403435 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Glycoconjugate vaccines containing multiple serotypes of a bacterial capsular polysaccharide can provide strong immune protection against pathogenic infections. Sterile filtration is an important component of the fill and finish operations in the preparation of these vaccines, with the capacity of the sterile filter limited by membrane fouling. The objective of this study was to examine the performance of a range of commercial 0.2/0.22 µm nominal pore size sterilizing grade filters with both single-layer and dual-layer structures during filtration of a glycoconjugate vaccine drug product consisting of four polysaccharide serotypes. The highly asymmetric Millipore Express showed much higher capacity than the more homogeneous filters, with the support structure of the Express acting as a prefilter that was able to remove foulants thereby protecting the small pores in the size-selective skin layer. This behavior was confirmed by performing experiments with different batch prefilters and by examining the location of foulant deposition within the sterile filters using confocal microscopy. These results provide important insights into the factors controlling fouling by these multiserotype vaccines as well as a framework for increasing the capacity of the sterile filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoshi Du
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Siyi Qiu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kanwal Gill
- Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., 1 Burtt Rd, Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vishal Toprani
- Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., 1 Burtt Rd, Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew L Zydney
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Du Z, Gill K, Toprani V, Zydney AL. Sterile filtration of a multi-serotype glycoconjugate vaccine drug product. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:1316-1322. [PMID: 36726046 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Glycoconjugate vaccines consisting of multiple serotypes of the bacterial capsular polysaccharide can provide strong protection against infection by significant pathogens. Previous studies of the sterile filtration behavior of these glycoconjugates have been limited to experiments with individual serotypes even though the formulated vaccines contain several different serotypes to provide broad immunization. The objective of this study was to explore the fouling behavior of a glycoconjugate vaccine drug product consisting of four different polysaccharide serotypes. Sterile filtration data were obtained with 0.22 µm Durapore® membranes at both constant flux and constant pressure for both the individual serotypes and the drug product containing multiple serotypes. Fouled membranes were examined by confocal microscopy, demonstrating that all four serotypes deposit in a narrow band near the filter inlet. The different ionic composition of the formulation buffer (compared to the buffers used with the drug substance) had a large effect on the fouling behavior. In addition, the fouling resistance associated with the drug product was greater than the sum of the resistances of the individual serotypes. These results provide important insights into the sterile filtration behavior of these multivalent glycoconjugate vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoshi Du
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kanwaldeep Gill
- Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vishal Toprani
- Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew L Zydney
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Gu Q, Ng TCA, Poh W, Kirk CH, Lyu Z, Zhang L, Wang J, Ng HY. 3D spray-coated gradient profile ceramic membranes enables improved filtration performance in aerobic submerged membrane bioreactor. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 220:118661. [PMID: 35661502 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Rational design of cross-sectional microstructure in ceramic membranes has shown to improve membrane filtration efficacy without affecting rejection performance. In this work, we adopted 3D spray-coating technique to generate multi-layered membrane layers on macro-porous flat-sheet ceramic supports. The thickness of each layer was controlled by spray-coating cycles, and a gradient membrane layer was rationalized by successively coating three ceramic slurries containing alumina powders of gradually refined particle sizes, followed by co-sintering. Gradient membrane layers on both sides of the various sized flat-sheet ceramic supports were fabricated. Compared to the non-gradient counterpart, the gradient membranes showed both higher pure water flux (at the same TMP) and lower membrane resistance, which clearly evidenced the benefits of gradient profile in the membrane layer. Further, their performance in aerobic membrane bioreactors (AeMBR) was comparably studied for the first time. The treatment performance was not significantly affected by the types of membranes used, while the gradient membrane showed better filtration performance (i.e., a slower rise in TMP). Although the fouling mechanisms were revealed to be similar, the fouling layer in the gradient membrane was composed of a higher percentage of smaller foulants compared to that of the non-gradient counterpart. The observed differences were closely correlated to the larger internal pore structure in the gradient membrane. The present work provides a feasible 3D spray-coating technique for the fabrication of gradient flat-sheet ceramic membranes, and clarifies the benefits in AeMBR for domestic wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilin Gu
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574; State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Special Separation Membrane, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Tze Chiang Albert Ng
- Centre for Water Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576.
| | - Weijie Poh
- Centre for Water Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576
| | - Chin Ho Kirk
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574
| | - Zhiyang Lyu
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574
| | - John Wang
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574; Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Singapore 138634.
| | - How Yong Ng
- Centre for Water Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576; NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411.
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Leisi R, Rostami I, Laughhunn A, Bieri J, Roth NJ, Widmer E, Ros C. Visualizing protein fouling and its impact on parvovirus retention within distinct filter membrane morphologies. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Na J, Suh D, Cho YH, Baek Y. Comparative Evaluation of the Performance of Sterile Filters for Bioburden Protection and Final Fill in Biopharmaceutical Processes. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12050524. [PMID: 35629850 PMCID: PMC9143324 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12050524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sterile filtration processes are widely used in the production of biotherapeutics for microorganism removal and product sterility. Sterile filtration processes can be applied to buffer preparation and cell culture media preparation in biotherapeutics processes, and to final sterilization or final filling in downstream processes. Owing to their broad range of applications in bioprocessing, various 0.2/0.22 μm sterile filters with different polymer materials (i.e., hydrophilic PVDF and PES) and nominal pore sizes are commercially available. The objective of this study was to evaluate two different commercial sterile filters in terms of filtration performance in various sterile filtration processes of biopharmaceutical production. The results demonstrate the importance of choosing the appropriate filter considering the process type and target removal/transport product to ensure efficient sterile filtration in the production of biotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimin Na
- Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212, Korea;
| | - Dongwoo Suh
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Institute of Chemical Process (ICP), Seoul National University (SNU), 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea;
| | - Young Hoon Cho
- Green Carbon Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), 141 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34114, Korea
- Department of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, University of Science & Technology (UST), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113, Korea
- Correspondence: (Y.H.C.); (Y.B.); Tel.: +82-42-860-7684 (Y.H.C.); +82-32-860-7516 (Y.B.)
| | - Youngbin Baek
- Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212, Korea;
- Correspondence: (Y.H.C.); (Y.B.); Tel.: +82-42-860-7684 (Y.H.C.); +82-32-860-7516 (Y.B.)
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Dadashov S, Demirel E, Suvaci E. Tailoring microstructure of polysulfone membranes via novel hexagonal ZnO particles to achieve improved filtration performance. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Modified Bundle of Capillaries Approximation of Sterilizing Filter Membranes and its use for Filter Characterization and Filtration Process Optimization. J Pharm Sci 2021; 111:382-394. [PMID: 34600942 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2021.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Sterilizing filtration is a common unit operation for the manufacture of parenteral drug products. However, filter performance can be impacted by properties of both the membrane material and the solution being filtered, requiring extensive multi-factor studies to optimize the filtration process for a given drug product. Here, we report the use of a modified bundle of capillaries approximation to predict filter performance. The model is directly applicable for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian solutions and does not require assumptions of steady state. Using a hydrophilic polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) filter as a test case, we show that the model fitting parameters align with expected values and both flux and shear are well predicted. Moreover, two case studies are presented to demonstrate the model's utility for filtration process optimization: 1) protein adsorption of an antibody formulation and 2) filter fouling of a 1% (w/v) carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) solution. In both cases, the model was able to accurately identify optimal filtration parameters to reduce the amount of adsorption or improve the filter capacity, respectively. This methodology can be easily extended to alternate filter types and provides an additional predictive tool to speed process development and minimize trial and error during filtration process design.
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Yu H, Huang W, Liu H, Li T, Chi N, Chu H, Dong B. Application of Coagulation-Membrane Rotation to Improve Ultrafiltration Performance in Drinking Water Treatment. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11080643. [PMID: 34436406 PMCID: PMC8398328 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11080643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The combination of conventional and advanced water treatment is now widely used in drinking water treatment. However, membrane fouling is still the main obstacle to extend its application. In this study, the impact of the combination of coagulation and ultrafiltration (UF) membrane rotation on both fouling control and organic removal of macro (sodium alginate, SA) and micro organic matters (tannic acid, TA) was studied comprehensively to evaluate its applicability in drinking water treatment. The results indicated that membrane rotation could generate shear stress and vortex, thus effectively reducing membrane fouling of both SA and TA solutions, especially for macro SA organics. With additional coagulation, the membrane fouling could be further reduced through the aggregation of mediate and macro organic substances into flocs and elimination by membrane retention. For example, with the membrane rotation speed of 60 r/min, the permeate flux increased by 90% and the organic removal by 35% in SA solution, with 40 mg/L coagulant dosage, with an additional 70% increase of flux and 5% increment of organic removal to 80% obtained. However, too much shear stress could intensify the potential of fiber breakage at the potting, destroying the flocs and resulting in the reduction of permeate flux and deterioration of effluent quality. Finally, the combination of coagulation and membrane rotation would lead to the shaking of the cake layer, which is beneficial for fouling mitigation and prolongation of membrane filtration lifetime. This study provides useful information on applying the combined process of conventional coagulation and the hydrodynamic shear force for drinking water treatment, which can be further explored in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjian Yu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (H.Y.); (W.H.); (H.L.); (H.C.); (B.D.)
| | - Weipeng Huang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (H.Y.); (W.H.); (H.L.); (H.C.); (B.D.)
| | - Huachen Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (H.Y.); (W.H.); (H.L.); (H.C.); (B.D.)
| | - Tian Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (H.Y.); (W.H.); (H.L.); (H.C.); (B.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Nianping Chi
- School of Municipal and Geomatics Engineering, Hunan City University, Yiyang 413000, China;
| | - Huaqiang Chu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (H.Y.); (W.H.); (H.L.); (H.C.); (B.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Bingzhi Dong
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (H.Y.); (W.H.); (H.L.); (H.C.); (B.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
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Du Z, Motevalian SP, Carillo-Conde B, Reilly K, Zydney AL. Prefiltration enhances performance of sterile filtration for glycoconjugate vaccines. Biotechnol Prog 2021; 37:e3180. [PMID: 34106522 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have reported very low capacity during sterile filtration of glycoconjugate vaccines due to rapid fouling of the sterile filter. The objective of this study was to explore the potential for significantly increasing the capacity of the sterile filter through the use of an appropriate prefilter. Data were obtained using prefilters with different pore size and chemistry, with the sterile filtration performed at constant filtrate flux using 0.22 μm nominal pore size Durapore® polyvinylidene difluoride membranes. Prefiltration through 5 μm pore size Durapore® or Nylon prefilters nearly eliminated the fouling of the sterile filter, leading to more than a 100-fold reduction in the rate of pressure increase for the sterile filter. This dramatic improvement in sterile filter performance was due to the removal of large components (greater than 1 μm in size) as confirmed by dynamic light scattering. These results demonstrate the potential of using large pore size prefilters to significantly enhance the performance of the sterile filtration process for the production of important glycoconjugate vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoshi Du
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Brenda Carillo-Conde
- Conjugation and Polytide Process Development Group, Pfizer Inc., Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Andrew L Zydney
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Fouling Behavior during Sterile Filtration of Different Glycoconjugate Serotypes Used in Conjugate Vaccines. Pharm Res 2021; 38:155-163. [PMID: 33438097 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-020-02983-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Sterile filtration can be a particular challenge when processing very large glycoconjugate vaccines. The objective of this study was to examine the sterile filtration performance of a series of glycoconjugate vaccines produced by coupling different polysaccharide serotypes to an immunogenic protein. METHODS Sterile filtration was performed at constant filtrate flux using 0.22 μm pore size Durapore® polyvinylidene fluoride membranes. Glycoconjugates were characterized by dynamic light scattering, rheological measurements, and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Confocal microscopy was used to examine glycoconjugate capture profiles within the membrane. Transmembrane pressure data were analyzed using a recently developed fouling model. RESULTS All glycoconjugates deposited in a narrow band near the entrance of the Durapore® membranes. The rate of fouling varied significantly for the different serotypes, with the fouling parameter correlated with the fraction of glycoconjugates larger than 200 nm in size. CONCLUSIONS The fouling behavior and sterile filter capacity of the different glycoconjugate serotypes are determined primarily by the presence of large species (>200 nm in size) as determined by nanoparticle tracking analysis. The modified intermediate pore blockage model provides a framework for predicting the sterile filtration performance for these glycoconjugate vaccines.
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