HIGH-SPEED CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOR RAPID ONLINE SAMPLE CLARIFICATION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Sample clarification is a common operation in biochemical analytical m ethods for removing interfering or unwanted particulates from an analy te sample. Filtration provides one option for removal of particulates. However, in many cases the loss of soluble protein due to filter adso rption is unacceptable and an alternative must be sought. In this pape r a microcentrifuge designed to automatically sample, spin, deliver su pernatant to an analyser and wash out solids from the bowl is describe d. The performance of the system is assessed in terms of its clarifica tion efficiency and the time required to achieve satisfactory clarific ation. Additionally, the effects of different protein precipitating ag ents on yeast homogenate samples separated using the microcentrifuge a re studied where the system is used to deliver supernatant to a flow i njection analyser. The paper demonstrates that the microcentrifuge may be used to separate rapidly such samples on a time scale between 10-6 0 s depending upon the type and size of sample and be successfully use d as a component of an at-line monitoring system.