Anion Exchange Resins

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Purification with anion exchange resins

Anion exchange (AEX) chromatography is a form of ion exchange (IEX) chromatography where a negatively charged biomolecule binds to a positively charged resin. In downstream bioprocessing, AEX resins are widely used for the purification and polishing of therapeutic proteins, monoclonal antibodies, and viral vectors. By exploiting charge differences between biomolecules, AEX chromatography allows for high-resolution separation and removal of process- and product-related impurities.

Benefits of anion exchange resins

AEX resins feature positively charged chemistry for the selective purification of different biomolecules across a wide pH and conductivity range. POROS anion exchange resins offer various chemistries and tuned throughpores to support:

  • Excellent resolution
  • High binding capacity
  • Wide range of operational flow rates

Interested in cation exchange resins?

Applications for anion exchange resins

POROS resins offer an easy, flexible solution for anion exchange chromatography in bind/elute or flow-through modes of operation.
 

POROS anion exchange applications

Bind/elute application

Flow-through application

Capture of:

  • Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)
  • Proteins
  • Virus
  • Plasmid DNA purification

Polish of:

  • Viral vectors (empty versus full)

Trace impurity reduction by binding impurities, such as:

  • DNA
  • Viruses
  • HCP
  • Aggregates
  • Endotoxin

Explore anion exchange resins

Our POROS anion exchange media portfolio includes strong and weak base resins with different surface chemistries, binding capacities, and pH ranges.
 

Anion exchange resin properties

Resin

Type of AEX resin

Surface chemistry

BSA binding capacity (mg/mL)

pH range

Pore size (Angstrom)

POROS XQ

Strong

Fully quaternized amine

> 140

1–14

1,100

POROS HQ

Strong

Quaternized polyethylenimine (mixed amine)

75

1–14

2,000

POROS 50 PI

Weak

Polyethylenimine (mixed amine)

80

1–9

2,000

POROS 50 D

Weak

Dimethylaminopropyl

90

1–9

1,050

Ordering information

Explore more chromatography resins

Thermo Fisher Scientific offers POROS ion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and mixed-mode chromatography resins for large-scale bioseparations, along with MabCaptureC and CaptureSelect affinity resins designed for efficient purification of mAbs, advanced antibody variants, recombinant proteins, mRNA, viruses, and other biologics.
 

Not sure which resin is right for you?

The Bioprocess Resin Selection Guide is an interactive guide that helps scientists evaluate chromatography resins based on molecule type, application, and scale. Identify products that meet your purification goals and process needs by filtering data on resin chemistry, capacity, and operating conditions.
 

Frequently asked questions

Anion exchange resins bind negatively charged biomolecules to positively charge functional groups on their surface. They are often applied in polishing steps for various biomolecules but can be used for capture depending on the molecule. They are also used in flow-through mode to minimize impurities such as DNA, viruses, host cell proteins, aggregates, and endotoxins.

POROS anion exchange resins can be cleaned for reuse with multiple column volumes of common cleaning solutions, such as sodium hydroxide and buffers with high concentrations of salt. Operating instructions are available for download and field application scientists can help optimize the cleaning-in-place (CIP) regimen for difficult processes.

Chromatography resources

Access application notes, protocols, and videos that support resin evaluation and process development. Topics include resin selection, column operation, method transfer, and troubleshooting for antibodies, viral vectors, and mRNA. These materials offer guidance for downstream workflows, spanning from early research to manufacturing.
 

Start your purification journey

Use of the products may vary. For specific use statements, please see product literature.