Transitioning AF4 from Research to QC

Asymmetric field flow fractionation combined with multiangle light scattering (AF4-MALS) has emerged as an import tool in separation and characterization of many modern vaccines and pharmaceuticals. It has many unique and desirable characteristics. It is inherently a low shear separation method, and it can be used over an extremely wide dynamic range. In a single run one can separate small molecules and oligomers, as well as large aggregates and macromolecular assemblies. By using the dilution control functionality (DCM) of modern FFF systems, one can also enhance the sample concentration by separately extracting some of the sample-free carrier solvent through a separate DCM port. This improves the accuracy of downstream analytical instruments and minimizes the amount of sample needed for analysis. While commonly used in R&D labs, poor reproducibility between multiple AF4 systems has limited its adoption for quality control applications. This talk will discuss recent innovations in AF4 systems that address the goals of improving reproducibility and ease of use to allow them to become standard tools in QC labs.