ÄKTA avant liquid chromatography system

The ÄKTA avant chromatography platform is designed specifically for biopharmaceutical laboratories that require rapid transfer of methods from research to pilot production. Unlike general-purpose purification systems, this model is focused on method development and scale-up, providing tools for systematically studying the impact of separation parameters. The entire line is represented by two systems: the ÄKTA avant 25, with a maximum flow rate of 25 ml/min, and the ÄKTA avant 150, with a flow rate of up to 150 ml/min. The former is suitable for columns no larger than 1.6 cm in diameter and can produce tens of milligrams of target product. The latter is designed for larger columns and enables the production of hundreds of milligrams of purified material, necessary for initial testing of scalable processes. The platform's key advantage is the integrated Design of Experiments (DoE) module within the UNICORN software. The user defines the ranges for several factors (e.g., flow rate, pH gradient, eluent concentration), and the system automatically determines the optimal parameters with a minimum number of experiments. This reduces method development time and makes scale-up quantitatively justified. The hydraulic circuit includes two independent pumps: a system pump responsible for creating the buffer gradient, and a sample pump for automatic sample delivery. The sample can be loaded from test tubes, syringes, or external reservoirs without manually switching valves. Optional BufferPro technology prepares buffer solutions of a specified pH and ionic strength from concentrated stock solutions, eliminating manual mixing and operator error. The UV detector is based on a xenon lamp, covering a range of 190–700 nanometers without the need to change the light source when working in the ultraviolet and visible regions. The system records up to three wavelengths in parallel, which is useful for the simultaneous detection of proteins, nucleic acids, and fluorescently labeled molecules. The fraction collector accommodates up to 576 fractions in 24-, 48-, or 96-well plates, as well as tubes from 3 to 250 milliliters. The collector's cooling maintains the stability of purified samples during long collection cycles. UNICORN software fully documents every step of the experiment, meeting the requirements of GMP-regulated manufacturing facilities.