Preparative Isolation and Recovery of Protein Isoforms via Electronic Focusing

该项目的目标是设计、开发、测试和研究使用新型电聚焦装置分离毫克级蛋白质的机制。本研究采用一个由环形装置组成的自由流动室，该装置将旋转以产生泰勒涡。然后沿着腔室的长度施加电子梯度，以便根据电荷分离蛋白质。这项研究的潜在影响将是使蛋白质在pH值下聚焦和纯化，从而避免沉淀，否则会发生在蛋白质的pI上。这种方法与使用计算机控制的线性电极阵列相结合，以获得非线性电子产生的电场，将使同工异构体得以分离。

The objectives of this project are the design, development, testing, and investigations into mechanisms for separating milligram quantities of proteins using a novel electrofocusing device. This research employs a free flow chamber consisting of an annular device which will rotate in order to generate Taylor vortices. An electronic gradient is then applied along the length of the chamber in order to separate proteins on the basis of charge. The potential impact of this research would be to enable the focussing and purification of proteins at a pH which is removed from the protein's pI and thereby avoiding precipitation which would otherwise occur at the pI of the protein. The combination of this approach with the use of a computer controlled linear array of electrodes to obtain non-linear electronically generated electric fields will enable isoforms to be separated.