Review: Purification of proteins by membrane chromatography

Adsorption chromatography is increasingly used for protein purification and medical applications. Synthetic membranes have advantages as support matrices in comparison to conventional bead supports because they are not compressible and they eliminate diffusion limitations. As a result, higher throughput and faster processing times are possible in membrane systems. In this paper, we review the various applications of membrane chromatography by focusing on affinity, ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, reversed-phase and multistage chromatography. The prospects of further development of membrane chromatography are discussed. © 1998 SCI.