Transmembrane pressure evolution during constant flux SPTFF – a comparison of two proteins

Abstract

Single-pass tangential flow filtration (SPTFF) is an enabling technology for continuous bioprocessing, but its performance can be limited by membrane fouling at high protein concentrations. In this work, we investigate fouling mechanisms and critical flux using whey protein isolate (WPI) as a model protein and compare the results to a monoclonal antibody (mAb). Batch tangential flow filtration (TFF) experiments were performed under flux-stepping and pressure-stepping conditions to determine the critical flux of both protein systems over a range of concentrations. The critical flux declined significantly with increasing feed concentration for both WPI and mAb solutions, in agreement with the ..