Ultrafiltration concentrators are advanced centrifugal devices essential for rapid biomolecule concentration and buffer exchange in biochemistry and molecular biology laboratories. They enable efficient processing of sample volumes ranging from 100 µL to 100 mL, delivering high recovery rates while preserving molecular integrity.
Technology Highlights
Vertical and dual-vertical membrane configurations enable crossflow-like filtration during centrifugation (4,000–6,000 × g), achieving concentration factors of 100–400× within 15–60 minutes without significant membrane fouling. The tangential sweep effect minimizes protein gel layer formation and aggregation. Pressure-adapted systems such as Proteus reduce shear stress, making them suitable for sensitive targets including viruses and nanoparticles.
Biochemical Applications
In proteomics, 10–30 kDa MWCO devices are widely used for monoclonal antibody (mAb) concentration (15–70 mL volumes) and desalting of enzymatic digests prior to LC-MS analysis. Molecular biology applications include the concentration and purification of NGS libraries and plasmid DNA using formats such as Vivaspin 500 or Vivaspin 6, effectively removing primers and salts. In virology, ultrafiltration devices enable isolation and concentration of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and viral particles from cell culture supernatants. Bioprocessing workflows may scale from centrifugal concentrators to tangential flow filtration (TFF) cassette systems for larger supernatant volumes.
