US 12,480,088 B2Granted

Process for purifying target substances

AssigneeFujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies UK Limited

InventorsTibor Nagy, Jonathan Haigh, Charles Heise, Andrew Topping, James Pullen

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A process for purifying a composition comprising water, a target substance, impurities and optionally cells, the process comprising the steps (A) and (B): (A) preparing a liquid feedstock by performing step (Ai) and/or (Aii) on the composition: (Ai) removing at least some of the cells from the composition; (Aii) concentrating the composition by removing water therefrom; and (B) passing the liquid feedstock through an apparatus comprising at least two processing units, each such unit producing a product stream containing purified target substance and optionally a waste stream comprising at least some of the impurities, wherein each unit comprises specified components (i) to (v). The units may be essentially the same except for a device they contain, leading to advantages in terms of simplicity, cost and ease of operation, lower risk of operator error, easier maintenance and lower inventory of spare parts.

A process for purifying a composition comprising water, a target substance, impurities and optionally cells, the process comprising the steps (A) and (B):

(A) preparing a liquid feedstock by performing step (Ai) and/or (Aii) on the composition:
(Ai) removing at least some of the cells from the composition;
(Aii) concentrating the composition by removing water therefrom;
and
(B) passing the liquid feedstock through an apparatus comprising at least two processing units, each such unit producing a product stream containing purified target substance and optionally a waste stream comprising at least some of the impurities, wherein each unit comprises the following components (i) to (v):
(i) an inlet for the liquid feedstock;
(ii) a multiple inlet flow-controller comprising two or more variable flow inlet valves for producing a bioprocessing liquid from at least two other liquids to be combined in a desired ratio;
(iii) a means for combining the liquid feedstock and the bioprocessing liquid to produce a device feed and/or for combining the at least two other liquids to prepare the bioprocessing liquid;
(iv) a device for performing a processing operation on the liquid feedstock or on the device feed, the device comprising an inlet for the device feed and/or the liquid feedstock and an outlet for a product stream;
(v) a means for imparting flow of the liquid feedstock, the at least two liquids, the bioprocessing liquid, the device feed, the product stream and the optional waste stream;
wherein:
(I) the liquid feedstock is fed through inlet (i) and is combined with the bioprocessing liquid in the means (iii) and then fed through the device (iv) or is combined with the bioprocessing liquid in the device (iv), in either case to give a product stream and optionally a waste stream which exit the unit;
(II) step (Ai) is performed only if the composition comprises cells;
(III) at least one of said units is a unit for performing chromatographic purification of the target substance;
and
(IV) the units are arranged in series such that the liquid feedstock for the second and any subsequent units comprises the product stream from the preceding unit,
wherein step (A) is performed in the apparatus in one or more of the at least two units comprising the components (i) to (v).

14 more elements

Abstract

Claims14