Types of Chromatography Columns

There are 5 major types of chromatography columns for core Downstream Bioprocess Engineering (of special importance in biopharmaceutical downstream processes).

Major Column Types

• Affinity chromatography – highly selective, often used as capture (primary) chromatography step in downstream biomanufacturing processes (i.e. Protein A and IMAC columns). Click HERE and HERE for tutorial videos.

• Ion exchange chromatography (IEX) – separates molecules based on charge. IEX can be either anion exchange chromatography (AEX) or cation exchange chromatography (CEX). Click HERE and HERE for tutorial videos.

• Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) – separates molecules based on hydrophobicity under high-salt conditions. Click HERE for a tutorial video.

• Reverse phase chromatography (RP) – separates molecules based on hydrophobicity, often used in HPLC and UPLC (analytical chromatography). Click HERE for a tutorial video.

• Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) – separates molecules based on molecular size (molecular weight), useful for degradation and aggregate analysis. Click HERE for a tutorial video.

The AEX, CEX, HIC, RP and SEC are often used as either analytical chromatography or polishing (secondary) chromatography in downstream biomanufacturing processes.

Differences between AEX and CEX in Ion exchange chromatography (IEX)

• Anion Exchange Chromatography (AEX): Targets anions (negatively charged molecules). This type of column separates molecules with a negative charge by binding them to a positively charged stationary phase.

• Cation Exchange Chromatography (CEX): Targets cations (positively charged molecules). This type of column separates molecules with a positive charge by binding them to a negatively charged stationary phase.