As plasmid DNA technologies continue to play a critical role in gene therapy, DNA vaccination, and advanced biomanufacturing, there is a growing need for more efficient and cost-effective downstream processing methods.
In a recent study published in Separation and Purification Technology, iBB researchers (Ana Rita Santos, Joana Silva, Sara Sousa Rosa and Ana Azevedo) together with colleagues from the University of Edinburgh (Mariachiara Conti and Simone Dimartino) and Fujifilm Biotechnologies (James R. Pullen), have developed a steric exclusion chromatography method using 3D-printed chromatographic matrices to capture pDNA immediately after cell lysis. This approach demonstrated effective purification of the supercoiled pDNA isoform, which is essential for therapeutic efficacy, with high yield in a single chromatographic step. By tunning PEG conditions, we achieved excellent target DNA purity and significant removal of protein impurities, improving both efficient and downstream processing economics.
This work presents a scalable, high-capacity, and potentially lower-cost alternative to conventional pDNA purification. By integrating additive manufacturing with chromatographic innovation, we open new pathways toward more streamlined bioprocessing solutions that can support vaccine manufacture and gene-baased theerrapeutics at scale.
This work was funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe research and innovation program with the grant agreement 101159993, within the Dig4Bio project. This work was also funded by national funds from FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the projects UIDB/04565/2020 of the Research Unit iBB; and of the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy – i4HB.