Agarose ultrafiltration membrane composites for size based separations

A method for making an agarose ultrafiltration membrane composite, the method comprising the steps of:

• i. providing a porous support membrane having an average pore size ranging from 0.01 μm to 10 μm and an average thickness ranging from 20 μm to 150 μm,
• ii. providing an agarose solution, and
• iii. casting a layer of the agarose solution onto the porous support membrane, and
• iv. immersing the agarose coated porous support membrane into a water bath at a temperature below the gelling point of the agarose solution, thereby resulting in an agarose ultrafiltration membrane composite having average pore size less than 0.1 μm.