Since the 1960’s, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) has been used to separate, identify, and quantify components in mixtures. The mixture to be analyzed is pushed through a column containing a packing material (the stationary phase, usually silica or alumina) by a solution (the mobile phase) under pressure. Typical solutions can include water, alcohol, acetonitrile, or hexane. As the mixture moves through the column, different compounds within the sample are attracted to the stationary phase or mobile phase to varying degrees. Compounds that are more attracted to the stationary phase tend to move through the column slowly, as they tend to “stick” to the packing material. The compounds that are more attracted to the mobile phase will move through the column much more quickly as they are carried by the solution. Since the constituent compounds from the mixture move through the column at different rates, individual compounds can be identified and separated based on when they exit the column.
HPLC provides a method to separate compounds for various life science, pharmacy, biological, medical, and clinical applications. One of the uses for HPLC is for separating and purifying specific proteins from a solution. However, once the proteins have been separated they need to be stored at 4°C. This is where our chromatography refrigerators come in. Our chambers are easily capable of maintaining a temperature of 4°C (±1°C, if measured in liquid near the sensor) throughout the unit, perfect for the short term storage of purified proteins.
However, what if you wanted to run a protein purifier, such as an ÄKTA Pure, from inside the refrigerator? This would allow you to keep the temperature constant through all phases of the process. However, refrigerators are designed to provide energy to reduce the ambient temperature of non-heat-producing items to a cool temperature. A protein purifier, like the ÄKTA Pure or equivalent models, can generate over 1,000 BTU/hr of heat. Putting such a large heat load into the interior of a normal lab or chromatography refrigerator can quickly overwork the compressor as it tries to constantly cool the chamber. However, we customize our chromatography refrigerators to work with this application – to overcome the constant internal heat load and to provide a deeper workspace. Just make sure to specify that you want to run purifying equipment inside the chamber when asking for a quotation – so we can make you aware of all your options.
For more information, see our chromatography refrigerator product page. To request a quote, see our Contact Us page or call us at (800) 998-0500.