Frontiers of Bioseparations Technology: Unsolved Problems and Novel Process Concepts

Abstract

The unique properties, and formidable processing problems associated with the isolation and purification of bioactive proteins and other biologically derived substances have become a major challenge to the chemical and biochemical engineer.The extraordinarily high standards of purity demanded of such products to satisfy regulatory requirements of safety, coupled with their dependence upon precisely controlled tertiary and quarternary structure for proper biological activity, require the development and use of separation/purification techniques uncommon to traditional bioprocessing practices, and of novel processing concepts which call upon the collective expertise of life scientist and engineer.