Routine titration of foot-and-mouth disease virus suspensions by analytical ultracentrifugation 2nd communication: sedimentation equilibrium method.

A routine method for the determination of the virus concentration in FMD virus cultures and vaccines was developed. This method was based on sedimentation equilibrium in the analytical ultraviolet scanning ultracentrifuge. The virus suspension was first clarified. The virions were then sedimented in a preparative ultracentrifuge. The resuspended virions were diluted in a Cesium chloride solution and brought to equilibrium in the density gradient generated in the analytical ultracentrifuge. The optical density of the virus band was measured by the UV scanning system. A calculation procedure was developed to compute the density at the limits and at the maximum of the virus band. The virus concentration expressed as weight, was calculated for the original virus suspension.