Development and fundamentals of membrane processes

需要在治疗蛋白产品的纯化技术方面取得进展。目前的技术可以代表高达80%的总制造成本。替代的蛋白质纯化工艺应该能够以负担得起的成本提供高纯度的产品。 这项研究计划的长期目标是开发选择性和成本效益高的蛋白质纯化工艺。膜层析材料是一种很有前途的纯化工艺选择，它通过改变其结构和开发响应于工艺条件的材料来提供高选择性和高产量。 通过对材料性质的广泛表征和将这些材料性质与治疗性蛋白质的特定特征相关联，将获得高效的膜层析纯化过程。我们的工作将超越传统的实验方法，纳入新的数学模型，以捕捉材料的动态性质。我们还将开发基于环保工艺的新型蛋白质纯化膜材料。将使用复杂的材料表征技术来获得提纯过程的微观和瞬时特征。 这些替代蛋白质提纯工艺的长期影响最终将转化为高质量的治疗性蛋白质产品，供加拿大民众使用，例如用于癌症诊断和治疗。 该计划将为二十四(24)名高素质人员(HQP)提供培训，他们将发展并获得蛋白质和材料表征、蛋白质纯化工艺开发以及数据分析和数学工具方面的实践技能。除了这些技能，HQP还将获得强大的沟通和培训技能，将暴露在多学科和协作的研究环境中，并受益于蛋白质表达和最先进设施方面的国际专业知识。训练有素的HQP将处于战略地位，加入工业或学术部门，成为蛋白质纯化操作和材料开发方面的领先专家。

Advances in technologies for the purification of therapeutic protein products are needed. Current technologies can represent up to 80% of the total manufacturing costs. Alternative protein purification processes should be able to deliver high purity products at affordable costs. The long term objective of this research program is to develop selective and cost efficient protein purification processes. Promising purification process alternatives consist of membrane chromatography materials which offer high selectivity and throughput by engineering their structure and developing materials responsive to processing conditions. Efficient membrane chromatography purification processes will be obtained by extensive characterization of the material properties and by correlating these material properties to specific characteristics of therapeutic proteins. Our work will extend beyond the traditional experimental approach by incorporating novel mathematical models that will capture the dynamic nature of the materials. We will also develop novel protein purification membrane materials based on environmentally friendly processes. Sophisticated material characterization techniques will be employed to obtain microscopic and transient characteristics of the purification process. Long term impact of these alternative protein purification processes will eventually convert to high quality therapeutic protein products being available to the Canadian populations such as for cancer diagnostics and treatments. This program will provide training to twenty four (24) highly qualified personnel (HQP) who will develop and gain hands-on skills in protein and material characterization, protein purification process development as well as data analysis and mathematical tools. In addition to these skills, HQP will acquire strong communication and training skills, will be exposed to multi-disciplinary and collaborative research environment and benefit from international expertise in protein expression and state-of-the art facilities. Trained HQP will be strategically positioned to join the industrial or academic sector and become leading experts in protein purification operations and material development.