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  • Continuous and autonomous-f...
    Sharma, Vikas; Joo, Jeong-Un; Mottafegh, Amirreza; Kim, Dong-Pyo

    Bioresource technology, 07/2024, Volume: 403
    Journal Article

    Display omitted •Cysteine-modified PEG-K3PO4 ATPS was formulated for laccase purification.•Highly efficient 3D-printed micro-mixer and phase separator were fabricated.•Continuous ATPS boosts partition coefficient & extraction efficiency significantly.•Continuous/autonomous separation by computer vision guided interphase monitoring.•Enhanced partitioning of enzyme was depicted in low-abundance and real matrix. Downstream processing of biomolecules, particularly therapeutic proteins and enzymes, presents a formidable challenge due to intricate unit operations and high costs. This study introduces a novel cysteine (cys) functionalized aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) utilizing polyethylene glycol (PEG) and potassium phosphate, referred as PEG-K3PO4/cys, for selective extraction of laccase from complex protein mixtures. A 3D-baffle micro-mixer and phase separator was meticulously designed and equipped with computer vision controller, to enable precise mixing and continuous phase separation under automated-flow. Microfluidic-assisted ATPS exhibits substantial increase in partition coefficient (Kflow = 16.3) and extraction efficiency (EEflow = 88 %) for laccase compared to conventional batch process. Integrated and continuous-flow process efficiently partitioned laccase, even in low concentrations and complex crude extracts. Circular dichroism spectra of laccase confirm structural stability of enzyme throughout the purification process. Eventually, continuous-flow microfluidic bioseparation is highly useful for seamless downstream processing of target biopharmaceuticals in integrated and autonomous manner.