Comparison of Miniaturized Chromatographic Columns and 96-Well Plates for Automated Antibody Purification under Economic and Sustainable Aspects

Therapeutic antibodies are an area of major interest in treating infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Efficient purification strategies are required to discover and produce antibodies, representing a significant cost driver. Miniaturization and automation of the chromatographic purification process may contribute to cost reduction. In this article, miniaturized chromatographic columns and 96-well filter plates are used to purify an IgG antibody from cell cultures and are compared in terms of quality, cost, and sustainability. The validation results of the two miniaturized chromatographic antibody purification methods indicate high efficacy and are comparable except for minor differences in yield. The lowest cost per sample can be obtained with the miniaturized chromatographic columns, as annual throughput can be maximized with the miniaturized plates. By evaluating sustainability, significant reductions in laboratory waste produced during antibody purification can be shown, along with an increase in employee safety by using the automation system. Overall, the comparison of results shows that, in the development of new purification strategies, the type of implementation has a decisive influence on the outcomes in terms of recovery, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.

Automated summary

Therapeutic antibodies are of great interest in the treatment of infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. This article compares miniaturized chromatographic columns and 96-well filter plates for the purification of an IgG antibody in terms of quality, cost, and sustainability. The results show that both methods are highly effective, with minor differences in yield, and the miniaturized chromatographic columns offer the lowest cost per sample. Additionally, the use of automation system enhances employee safety and reduces laboratory waste, indicating increased sustainability.