UNPARALLELED UHPLC / HPLC INERTNESS for BIOLOGICS

Importance of the Topic

In bioanalytical separations, minimizing unwanted interactions between large biomolecules and chromatographic hardware is critical for accurate, reproducible results. Surface adsorption, carryover and extended column priming can compromise protein and peptide integrity, increase analysis time and reduce throughput. Enhancing inertness of UHPLC/HPLC flow paths supports robust workflows in biologics characterization, quality control and therapeutic development.

Objectives and Article Overview

This document introduces a titanium-infused biocompatible hardware platform (BioTi™) designed to eliminate secondary interactions and shorten priming time in UHPLC/HPLC analyses of proteins and peptides. It surveys product features, column offerings, guard and accessory systems, and provides comparative data against conventional stainless steel configurations.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The study evaluated a stainless steel UHPLC flow path lined with a biocompatible titanium frit and interior liner versus traditional stainless steel hardware. Identical chromatography conditions were applied:

• Column: bioZen SEC-3, 1.8 µm, 150 × 4.6 mm
• Mobile phase: 50 mM dipotassium phosphate + 100 mM sodium sulfate, pH 5.0
• Flow rate: 0.3 mL/min, ambient temperature
• Detection: UV at 280 nm
• Samples: γ-globulin (5 mg/mL) and ovalbumin (1 mg/mL)

Additional instrumentation and consumables include:

• bioTi biocompatible guard cartridges and holders
• SecurityGuard ULTRA guard system with titanium frit
• Solid-phase extraction plates (bioZen N-Glycan Clean-Up)
• MagBeads Streptavidin coated magnetic beads
• Biocompatible vials, syringe filters (PES membrane) and disposable syringes

Main Results and Discussion

Comparative injection series demonstrate that BioTi hardware reaches stable protein signal response within two successive injections, whereas traditional stainless steel requires up to ten injections to achieve comparable baseline performance. Key observations include:

• Significant reduction in priming time and solvent consumption
• Lower carryover and consistent peak shapes across runs
• Improved column-to-column reproducibility with biocompatible hardware
• Enhanced recovery of high-molecular-weight biomolecules

The titanium-infused liner and frit effectively block active metal sites that typically bind proteins, while strong stainless steel walls maintain pressure stability for UHPLC-compatible flow rates.

Practical Benefits and Applications

Adoption of biocompatible hardware can streamline biologics workflows by:

• Reducing method development time through minimal priming requirements
• Enhancing data quality in protein, peptide and glycan analyses
• Extending column life and reducing system maintenance
• Supporting high-throughput and regulated QA/QC laboratories

Future Trends and Opportunities

As biologics complexity continues to rise, future developments may include:

• Further miniaturization and integration of biocompatible flow paths in microfluidic devices
• Advanced surface coatings combining multiple inert materials
• Real-time monitoring of protein–surface interactions to inform dynamic method adjustments
• Expansion of biocompatible consumables for automated high-throughput sample preparation

Conclusion

The BioTi biocompatible hardware platform delivers unmatched inertness for UHPLC/HPLC analysis of large biomolecules. By dramatically reducing priming requirements and preventing protein adsorption, it enhances throughput, reproducibility and method reliability. Integrating these components into analytical workflows supports robust biologic characterization and accelerates research and quality control efforts.

Reference

No external literature references were provided in the source document.