Cu2+-attached pumice particles embedded composite cryogels for protein purification

Water-soluble polymeric particle embedded cryogels: Synthesis, characterisation and adsorption of haemoglobin

Making cryogels, which are among today’s accepted adsorbents, more functional with different methods, has been one of the subjects spent overtime. In this study, water-soluble poly(maleic anhydride-alt-acrylic acid) polymer embedded in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogels. Copper ions were then immobilised to this structure, and this polymer was used for adsorption of haemoglobin from aqueous systems. Adsorption interaction was carried out on an electrostatic basis, and approximately 448.62 mg haemoglobin/g polymer adsorption capacity value was obtained. It was found that the same material has managed to maintain its adsorption ability by 90.3% even after the use of it five times in the adsorption/desorption cycle. The adsorption interaction was determined to be appropriate for the Langmuir model by isotherm studies. The change in Gibbs free energy value was calculated as −2.168 kJ/mol.

α-Amylase Immobilized Composite Cryogels: Some Studies on Kinetic and Adsorption Factors

Stability of enzymes is a significant factor for their industrial feasibility. α-Amylase is an important enzyme for some industries, i.e., textile, food, paper, and pharmaceutics. Pumice particles (PPa) are non-toxic, natural, and low-cost alternative adsorbents with high adsorption capacity. In this study, Cu²⁺ ions were attached to pumice particles (Cu²⁺-APPa). Then, Cu²⁺-APPa embedded composite cryogel was synthesized (Cu²⁺-APPaC) via polymerization of gel-forming agents at minus temperatures. Characterization studies of the Cu²⁺-APPaC cryogel column were performed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer, Emmett, Teller (BET) method. The experiments were carried out in a continuous column system. α-Amylase was adsorbed onto Cu²⁺-APPaC cryogel with maximum amount of 858.7 mg/g particles at pH 4.0. Effects of pH and temperature on the activity profiles of the free and the immobilized α-amylase were investigated, and results indicate that immobilization did not alter the optimum pH and temperature values. k_cat value of the immobilized α-amylase is higher than that of the free α-amylase while K_M value increases by immobilization. Storage and operational stabilities of the free and the immobilized α-amylase were determined for 35 days and for 20 runs, respectively.

Challenges and Advances in the Fabrication of Monolithic Bioseparation Materials and their Applications in Proteomics Research

High-performance liquid chromatography integrated with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) has become a powerful technique for proteomics research. Its performance heavily depends on the separation efficiency of HPLC, which in turn depends on the chromatographic material. As the "heart" of the HPLC system, the chromatographic material is required to achieve excellent column efficiency and fast analysis. Monolithic materials, fabricated as continuous supports with interconnected skeletal structure and flow-through pores, are regarded as an alternative to particle-packed columns. Such materials are featured with easy preparation, fast mass transfer, high porosity, low back pressure, and miniaturization, and are next-generation separation materials for high-throughput proteins and peptides analysis. Herein, the recent progress regarding the fabrication of various monolithic materials is reviewed. Special emphasis is placed on studies of the fabrication of monolithic capillary columns and their applications in separation of biomolecules by capillary liquid chromatography (cLC). The applications of monolithic materials in the digestion, enrichment, and separation of phosphopeptides and glycopeptides from biological samples are also considered. Finally, advances in comprehensive 2D HPLC separations using monolithic columns are also shown.