Phase Equilibrium Theory of Aqueous Two-Phase Extraction: International Collaboration

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The aim of this project is the development of a general, comprehensive theory, based on statistical mechanics, of protein solubility in two- phase aqueous polymer solutions containing either polyethylene glycol and dextran or polyethylene glycol and salt. The objective is to predict free energies, aqueous phase separations and protein partition coefficients for a model aqueous polymer two-phase system as a function of a number of important parameters: protein and polymer concentrations, protein and polymer molecular weights, protein charge, pH, protein type, polymer type, salt type, ionic strength, temperature and the binding energy of affinity ligands. The theory will be supported by a series of experiments conducted in international collaboration with a world-renown expert in aqueous two phase extraction, Prof. Dr. M. R. Kula of the Institute for Enzyme Technology in Dusseldorf, Germany. The experiments will be performed both in Dr. Kula's laboratory and in the North Carolina State University laboratory. Despite the projected importance of aqueous two-phase extractive techniques for future separations technology, no comprehensive theoretical framework exists for predicting protein partitioning in these systems. This approach, which is based in statistical mechanics, will allow one to investigate the relative importance of excluded volume effects and electronic interactions and to predict values for both protein partition coefficients and ion partition coefficients. The research should provide insight into the molecular basis of protein partitioning and yield a useful correlation of protein partition coefficients.