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Technical Note: PuraBead® Resins The manufacture of biological products using process chromatography was introduced over 50 years ago when ion exchange resins were first used at large scale for insulin production. The foundations of Astrea Bioseparations’ chromatographic resin technology lies in its proprietary PuraBead® base matrix, developed over 25 years ago to address industry challenges associated with processing biotherapeutic products, particularly plasma proteins. PuraBead® P6 is a near-monodisperse, 6% beaded agarose support which serves as the primary platform for attachment of Astrea Bioseparations’ ligands. The unique properties of PuraBead® agarose beads have enabled it to become the resin of choice for a wide variety of applications from monoclonal antibodies to cell and gene therapies.
Why Agarose? Today many chromatography resins are manufactured from microplastics such as polymethacrylate or polystyrene which require managed disposal so as not to enter and contaminate the environment, which further increases their overall cost of use. As we all become more aware of our environmental impact, it is critical to ensure green, sustainable choices are made whenever possible. In contrast to synthetic resins, PuraBead® has been developed from agarose, a natural polysaccharide extracted from certain species of marine algae (seaweed). It is a non-toxic, non-animal derived polymer, manufactured using highly controlled and ecofriendly techniques. A sustainable choice over synthetic resin beads. Agarose is an ideal base matrix for chromatography resins due to being inert and naturally hydrophilic which reduces non-specific binding. This low binding characteristic ensures that only the ligands interact with the target, maximizing purity and minimizing product losses. While unreactive under normal use conditions, the abundance of hydroxyl groups allows ligand derivatisation using a wide range of chemistries. After crosslinking, agarose beads have the ideal combination of high porosity, high surface area and sufficient rigidity to support high flow rates. This combination of properties ensures high capacities and shorter processing times.
Technical note: PuraBead® Resins
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