3 Membrane Processes for Pharmaceutical
and Biotechnology
The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are major users of membrane
science due to their specific requirements and advantages associated with membranes. In this section, some of the applications of membranes in the field of pharma
and biotech industries are discussed for better insights into the use and advantages of
membranes. Major applications of membranes in pharma and biotech sector are
based on the filtration and separation of heat labile compounds and purification of
blood and other liquids. In addition to biotechnological industry, membranes can
also be used in biomedicine. Further, biotechnological products can be produced
with recombinant DNA technology. Transgenic animals and plants are produced
with the recombinant DNA technology. These animals and plants are modern
alternatives of common animals and plants to produce quality animal and plant
products, such as milk, eggs, corn, and tobacco [4].
3.1 Virus Purification
Centrifugation and ultrafiltration techniques were frequently employed techniques
for the virus purification in the bioprocesses; however; both techniques are labor
intensive, time taking, and expensive. In the last decade, membrane chromatography
was widely utilized for the purification of viruses due to several limitations on using
the traditional resin chromatography. The separation can be achieved owing to
distinctive chemical/physical properties of defective/inactive and bioactive virus
particles in the membrane chromatography technique. It was reported that the
binding capacity of membrane adsorber is strongly influenced by the size of the
biomolecules, which demonstrated using thyroglobulin (MW 660 kDa, ~20 nm),
Aedes aegyptidensonucleosis virus (AeDNV, ~20 nm), lysozyme (MW 14 kDa),
and bovine serum albumin (MW 67 kDa) [10]. The membrane ligand density can
also be related by the effect of biomolecule size on ligand accessibility within the
pores of the membrane. In order to achieve the enhanced purification of the recovered virus, ligand density can be reduced appropriately [11]. In the membrane
chromatography, specific factors related to viruses, including point of zero charge
(PZC) and affinity, may decide the separation characteristics and type of the ligand
and capture. Bioactivity of separated viruses and mobile phase conditions may be
altered while using chemicals to remove the virus particles from the membrane
adsorbers [12]. The decrement in the ion strength (pH) of the mobile phase results in
the infection of baculovirus. Most importantly, virus purification required proper
protections of virus structure and production of attenuated viral vaccine [13].
8
R. Singh et al.
and Biotechnology
The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are major users of membrane
science due to their specific requirements and advantages associated with membranes. In this section, some of the applications of membranes in the field of pharma
and biotech industries are discussed for better insights into the use and advantages of
membranes. Major applications of membranes in pharma and biotech sector are
based on the filtration and separation of heat labile compounds and purification of
blood and other liquids. In addition to biotechnological industry, membranes can
also be used in biomedicine. Further, biotechnological products can be produced
with recombinant DNA technology. Transgenic animals and plants are produced
with the recombinant DNA technology. These animals and plants are modern
alternatives of common animals and plants to produce quality animal and plant
products, such as milk, eggs, corn, and tobacco [4].
3.1 Virus Purification
Centrifugation and ultrafiltration techniques were frequently employed techniques
for the virus purification in the bioprocesses; however; both techniques are labor
intensive, time taking, and expensive. In the last decade, membrane chromatography
was widely utilized for the purification of viruses due to several limitations on using
the traditional resin chromatography. The separation can be achieved owing to
distinctive chemical/physical properties of defective/inactive and bioactive virus
particles in the membrane chromatography technique. It was reported that the
binding capacity of membrane adsorber is strongly influenced by the size of the
biomolecules, which demonstrated using thyroglobulin (MW 660 kDa, ~20 nm),
Aedes aegyptidensonucleosis virus (AeDNV, ~20 nm), lysozyme (MW 14 kDa),
and bovine serum albumin (MW 67 kDa) [10]. The membrane ligand density can
also be related by the effect of biomolecule size on ligand accessibility within the
pores of the membrane. In order to achieve the enhanced purification of the recovered virus, ligand density can be reduced appropriately [11]. In the membrane
chromatography, specific factors related to viruses, including point of zero charge
(PZC) and affinity, may decide the separation characteristics and type of the ligand
and capture. Bioactivity of separated viruses and mobile phase conditions may be
altered while using chemicals to remove the virus particles from the membrane
adsorbers [12]. The decrement in the ion strength (pH) of the mobile phase results in
the infection of baculovirus. Most importantly, virus purification required proper
protections of virus structure and production of attenuated viral vaccine [13].
8
R. Singh et al.