Simulation of porosity decrease with protein adsorption using the distributed pore model

• Extension of the distributed pore model.
• Porosity decrease with protein loading.
• Modeling of pore shrinkage due to protein adsorption.

Chromatographic stationary phases such as Fractogel EMD SO3 (M) have a pore size distribution that is close to the size of proteins. The accessible porosity and the mass transfer inside the particles are therefore strongly affected by the pore to solute size ratio. This effect was simulated using the distributed pore model for three media: Base Fractogel SO3, Fractogel EMD SO3 (M) and (S). This model was extended so as to be able to account for the effect of pore shrinkage due to protein loading on the chromatographic behavior of other proteins. Pulse chromatographic experiments using dextrans of various sizes on column pre-loaded with antibodies have been conducted to test the model reliability.