Purification of proteins using foam fractionation.

Purification is an important step in the production of pharmaceuticals from recombinant proteins. The characteristics of industrial-scale purification schemes, such as conventional chromatography, have a significant impact on the cost of production. Foam fractionation, a novel separation technique based upon the differences in affinities of components for the gas/aqueous interface of a foam, has the potential to be a cost-effective component in a purification scheme. This review covers some of the more recent studies in understanding the process and applications of foam fractionation in protein-containing systems with special attention to the requirements of pharmaceutical products.