As the number of biotech drugs in development grows exponentially, lab protein and cell purification workflows are facing increasing demand. Such workflows include clone selection, cell expansion studies and recombinant protein isolation prior to analysis. Suppliers of filtration and clarification consumables have responded by innovating to accelerate these workflows.

Pall, one of the largest suppliers of laboratory filtration and clarification products, recently launched two new filtration and clarification plates designed to improve cell and protein purification. Last week, Pall introduced the AcroPrep 24-well Cell Clarification and Sterile Filtration Plate as well as the AcroPrep 24-well 0.2 μm Sterile Filtration Plate.

Among the company’s priorities was a differentiated product offering. The AcroPrep 24-well Cell Clarification and Sterile Filtration Plate is Pall’s first 24-well plate for protein filtration and clarification. “It’s a brand new format for Pall [and] a unique offering in the market in general. There are a few 24-well formats in the market but none even close to the specifications or to the applications that these plates are for,” explained Lori Euler, Global Product Manager, Pall Life Sciences. Specifications include a volume of up to 7 mL and reliable recovery of > 95% of extra cellular proteins.

The plates overlay a Pall’s Seitz depth media and a 0.2 μm Supor EKV membrane. “What a depth media over a sterile filtration membrane allows the end-user to do is to clarify and sterile filter cell culture in one step in minutes,” stated Ms. Euler. “So this is really the first time combining these high-performance membranes with this new format.”

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time anyone/any company has integrated a depth filter and a sterile 0.2 μm filter into the same device.”

The combination is also available in other Pall devices. “But this is the first time they have been integrated into the same device. Meaning, the Seitz depth media is available in capsules and the Supor EKV is available on capsules too, but not in the same capsule together,” noted Ms. Euler. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time anyone/any company has integrated a depth filter and a sterile 0.2 μm filter into the same device.”

In addition to one-step filtration and clarification, the workflow is compatible with 24-well cell culture formats. “[These well-plates] are going to streamline some workflow improvements for customers who are growing [cells] in a 24-well filter plate,” noted Ms. Euler. “This really speeds up cell line development and clone screening.”

A more efficient workflow also allows for time and consumables savings. A traditional multistep method for 24-well culture harvesting would involve tubes, tips, filter and syringes, with each transfer step increasing the chance of contamination as well as other drawbacks. “The more times you go through a filter or the more times you go through any sort of device, you’re introducing potential error because you’re also introducing the opportunity to lose your sample,” noted Ms. Euler.

Pall also launched the AcroPrep 24-well 0.2 μm Sterile Filtration Plate for processing up to 7 mL of media, reagents, serum or protein in sterile filtrate applications. “There are some other plates on the market and there actually is another plate on the market that has a 0.2 μm membrane. The huge difference here is that our plates are individually bagged and gamma irradiated,“ observed Ms. Euler.

The AcroPrep 24-well 0.2 μm Sterile Filtration Plate features a 0.65/0.2 μm Supor EKV membrane. “For a customer that has already begun sample processing and they have tried to clarify their sample [and] they may only have proteins in the 24-well plate at this point, they can process through our 24-well sterile filtration plate and feel assured they have a sterile filtrate,” remarked Ms. Euler.

 

Both plates are now available and shipping. For more information, visit Pall.

This fall, Strategic Directions International (SDi), IBO’s sister company, will publish its first-ever Global Consumables report, which will cover markets such as protein purification. For more information on the report, contact SDi.