NSF Award
9313977
9313977 Castor Reversed micelles hold much promise as a means of carrying out selective liquid-liquid extraction of proteins from solution mixtures such that the desired protein is obtained in a purer and more concentrated form than the original feed. Reversed micellar-organic (RM-ORG) phase separation could have significant utility in the primary purification or initial fractionation of biosynthetic protein production processes. The continuous flow RM-ORG process developed during Phase I was designed to displace conventional low resolution chromatographic purification processes which cause losses in yield and increased manufacturing costs. During Phase II, process stream parameters such as surfactant concentration and aqueous stream pH are to be optimized. These parameters play key roles in determining protein solubilization in reversed micelles. A continuous flow RM-ORG prototype is to be designed, constructed, and tested. Based on this information, an economic analysis of the prototype is to be performed.
