(195a) A General Framework for Comparisons of Bioseparation Techniques

Scaling relationships elucidated from minimal models of chromatographic and electrophoretic methods are used to compare their performance in resolving power and throughput. In the kinematic limit, where separand diffusion is negligible, striking similarities are found between many of the most widely used methods. The effects of dispersion on purity, yield, and scalability is then quantified. The analysis is useful for understanding the common features of bioseparations across all scales and for selecting the optimal method for a particular application. The general approach taken here is of particular utility in evaluating the potential of chromatography, electrophoresis, and other methods that may be developed in the future for the high resolving power, process scale separations needed for the production of the next generation of pharmaceuticals and biological therapeutics.