Aqueous Two-Phase Systems

Book excerpt: A mixture of two polymers, or one polymer and a salt, in an aqueous medium separates into two phases: this phenomenon is useful in biotechn- ogy for product separations. Separation of biological molecules and particles in these aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) was initiated over 40 years ago by P.-Å. Albertsson, and later proved to be of immense utility in biochemical and cell biological research. A boost in the application of ATPS was seen when problems of separations in biotechnology processes were encountered. Its simplicity, biocompatibility, and amenability to easy scaleup operations make the use of ATPS very attractive for large-scale bioseparations. Despite the advantages ATPS enjoys over other separation techniques, the application of two-phase systems has for a long time been confined to selected labora- ries. Recent years have, however, shown a trend in which increasing numbers of researchers employ two-phase partitioning techniques in both basic and applied research.