Protein A Chromatography Resins

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Support downstream purification with Protein A chromatography resins

Downstream purification often presents challenges such as variability, process bottlenecks, and maintaining yield and purity at scale. Establishing a reliable capture workflow is important for process consistency and cost control. Chromatography solutions enable efficient antibody capture under scalable, cGMP-ready conditions. Thermo Scientific MabCaptureC Protein A Resin supports stable binding capacity and alkaline resistance for dependable purification performance.

Benefits of MabCaptureC Protein A chromatography resin

Integrating Protein A chromatography into antibody capture workflows helps maintain reproducibility and process control from development through scale-up. This approach supports consistent yield, predictable throughput, and efficient cleaning cycles.

Some benefits include:
  • High dynamic binding capacity
  • Uniform, highly cross-linked agarose bead (70 ± 10 µm)
  • Strong alkaline stability for cleaning and sanitization
  • Scalable design for cGMP manufacturing
  • In-house manufactured Protein A ligand, expressed in yeast
  • Potential cost savings and similar performance relative to other common Protein A resins

MabCaptureC resin performance

Dynamic binding capacity (DBC)

The MabCaptureC resin demonstrates high binding capacity.
 

MabCaptureC resin dynamic binding capacity

Figure 1. MabCaptureC affinity matrix dynamic binding capacity (DBC) at 5 and 10% breakthrough using a monoclonal antibody (IgG4) feedstock and three increasing residence times.
 

Alkaline stability

The MabCaptureC resin demonstrates excellent alkaline stability.
 

MabCaptureC resin dynamic binding capacity

Figure 2. MabCaptureC affinity matrix alkaline stability determined in a life cycle study using a monoclonal antibody (IgG4) feedstock. Shows stable yield (~90%) for 200 exposures of 15 min 0.2 M NaOH.

Applications for Protein A chromatography resins

Protein A chromatography resins are primarily used for antibody capture in monoclonal and bispecific antibody workflows. Resins allow selective binding early in purification, to help form the foundation for reliable downstream processing. The table below outlines how complementary resin types can align with each stage of the chromatography workflow.


Chromatography workflow steps and recommended resin types

 

Workflow step

Recommended resin type

Capture

Protein A chromatography resin or other affinity chromatography resins

Polishing or secondary affinity step

Ion exchange (IEX) chromatography resins

Additional polishing step

Hydrophobic interaction (HIC) resins or mixed-mode chromatography resin

 

Plasma fractionation

Plasma fractionation separates plasma proteins—such as albumin, immunoglobulins, and clotting factors—for various therapeutic applications. Chromatography steps integrated into these workflows facilitate selectivity and consistency, for improved overall yield of precious plasma-derived products. Thermo Fisher Scientific supports improved productivity in plasma purification processes with affinity and polishing resins implemented at many stages.
 

Ordering information

Other modalities and applications supported

ADCs

Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) workflows rely on chromatography steps to separate complex conjugates and reduce impurities. These approaches support consistent production of ADCs for therapeutic research and biomanufacturing.
 

Cell Therapy

Cell therapies utilize living cells as treatments, necessitating strict control over inputs and processing steps. Chromatography is applied to prepare ancillary materials, such as cytokines or viral vectors, that are used during cell manufacturing.
 

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy often relies on viral vectors, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) or lentivirus, to facilitate the transfer of genetic material. Chromatography separates drug product from product- and process-related impurities in both capture and polishing steps.

mAbs

Monoclonal antibody purification typically starts with Protein A chromatography to capture the antibody from cell culture fluid. Additional steps, such as ion exchange, are used to help reduce aggregates, variants, or process-related impurities.
 

mRNA

Chromatography in mRNA production separates full-length transcripts from double-stranded RNA and truncated products. The purified RNA can then be used in formulation or downstream steps, such as lipid nanoparticle assembly.
 

Vaccines

Chromatography is often used in vaccine manufacturing for both the capture and polishing of the vaccine drug product. The choice of method depends on the platform, for example, protein subunits, viral vectors, or nucleic acid vaccines.
 

Explore other chromatography resins

Affinity chromatography resins


Affinity resins enable high-purity capture in a single step. CaptureSelect technology supports antibodies, bispecifics, fragments, Fc-fusion proteins, recombinant proteins, and viral vectors under mild elution conditions.
 

Anion exchange chromatography resins

Anion exchange (AEX) resins separate biomolecules by charge, binding negatively charged species through positively charged groups. Strong AEX formats maintain capacity across a wide pH and conductivity range for capture and polishing.
 

Cation exchange chromatography resins

Cation exchange (CEX) resins separate positively charged biomolecules using negatively charged functional groups on the resin matrix. This approach is used for proteins, peptides, enzymes, and other biologics, offering high capacity, chemical stability, and consistent performance.

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography resins

HIC separates biomolecules based on surface hydrophobicity. Often applied as a polishing step, it enhances purification when charge-based methods are limited.



 

Ion exchange chromatography resins

IEX separates biomolecules through charge interactions with resin functional groups. Available in strong or weak chemistries, it supports bind/elute or flow-through purification of antibodies, vaccines, viral vectors, and other biologics.

 

Mixed-mode chromatography resin

Mixed-mode chromatography combines ion exchange and hydrophobic interactions in one resin to enhance selectivity in complex samples. POROS mixed-mode CEX resin enables flow-through polishing to reduce aggregates, host cell proteins, and other impurities while maintaining recovery and scalability.

Explore more chromatography resins

Chromatography resins include affinity, IEX, HIC, and mixed-mode formats. They enable reproducible performance from screening tools to cGMP production, supporting process consistency across purification steps.

Not sure which resins are right for you?


Selecting the right resin depends on your molecule type, process stage, and purification goals. Compare chemistries, binding capacities, and scalability data in one place.
 

Custom chromatography resins engineered for purification

Thermo Fisher collaborates with teams to develop custom chromatography resins that address complex purification challenges. Through custom resin and ligand development, we help bridge workflow gaps, refine selectivity, and enhance performance from process design through cGMP production.

Frequently asked questions

Protein A chromatography resins are used during the capture step of antibody purification workflows to help isolate immunoglobulins directly from cell culture harvest. In general, these resins specifically bind antibodies by targeting the Fc region, allowing for high recovery and purity in a single step. By reducing the number of downstream operations, they help shorten processing time and improve overall workflow efficiency. When implemented correctly, Protein A chromatography can support consistent yield and quality from development through cGMP manufacturing.

MabCaptureC resin’s Protein A ligand selectively binds to the CH2-CH3 interface of the Fc region and the VH3 region of antibodies.

Selecting the right resin depends on your target molecule’s characteristics, such as size, charge, and binding affinity. For antibodies, Protein A chromatography is typically used in the capture step, while ion exchange or mixed-mode resins are applied for polishing or impurity reduction. Thermo Fisher offers custom resin development services for projects that require specific ligand chemistries or performance characteristics.

Protein A chromatography resin is manufactured under controlled conditions with full traceability and documentation. Certificates of analysis (COAs) and regulatory support files are available for qualification. Technical specialists can assist with process setup and scale-up.

Thermo Fisher supports purification across capture, intermediate, and polishing steps. Chromatography products include affinity, IEX, HIC, mixed-mode chromatography resins designed for reliable performance across development and manufacturing. 96-well screening plate formats allow for rapid resin evaluation and candidate screening by facilitating multiple purifications running in parallel.

Protein A resin samples, as well as polishing resin samples, are available. Request a sample through the Biotherapeutics Purification Sample Request Form.

Chromatography resources


Access resources that cover chromatography performance, purification strategies, and method development. These resources empower scientists to select and apply chromatography resins from research to cGMP manufacturing.

Let us help you start your purification journey

For research use or further manufacturing. Not for diagnostic use or direct administration into humans or animals.