iBB

The mechanisms underlying the adsorption of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) towards phenylboronate (PB) ligands have been elucidated by Flow Microcalorimetry. The knowledge acquired BERG-iBB researchers, in collaboration with Cristina Dias-Cabral's group from CICS-UBI, suggest how to increase the salt tolerance of the bond between ligand and biomolecule by manipulating the environmental conditions.It was demonstrated that such feature can be accomplished either by using mobile phase modulators that promote the specific cis-diol interactions between PB ligands and mAbs or by diminishing the non-specific interactions involved in the adsorptive process. The research team believes that these findings could contribute towards the effective integration of boronate chromatography in the current mAb downstream processing platform. The paper was published in Biotechnology Journal.

The feasibility of applying Flow Microcalorimetry to evaluate the complex phenomena involved in the adsorption of monoclonal antibodies to phenylboronate ligands has been demonstrated by BERG-iBB researchers led by Ana Azevedo, in collaboration with Ana Cristina Dias-Cabral from CICS-UBI. The thermodynamic studies evidence the role of affinity and non-specific effects that contribute to the complex, phenylboronate-mediated multimodal adsorption process. This deeper understanding, combined with the economic advantages associated with the employment of the PBA ligand, may lead industry to adopt such a chromatographic process as a reliable alternative to protein A-based capture steps in the current downstream processing of mAbs. The work is part of Sara Rosa’s PhD thesis in Biotechnology and Biosciences. The paper was published on J. Chromatography A.