Using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy to Analyze the Mass Transfer in the Protein A Medium of a Silica Matrix

Abstract

Mass transfer in a protein A medium with a silica matrix was analyzed in this study. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy, we monitored the positional and temporal changes in the polyclonal human IgG during batch adsorption. A simple theoretical model based on Fick’s law of diffusion and Langmuir adsorption was used to numerically approximate the external and intraparticle mass-transfer properties of IgG in single particles. The diffusivities found in this study were validated by comparing with the values reported in other studies and also by using numerical calculation to reproduce the experimentally obtained breakthrough curve.

Keywords

• Protein A medium
• Confocal laser scanning microscopy
• Mass transfer
• Apparent diffusivity
• Finite difference method