products

Agarose-based media

Product		type	particle size
	WorkBeads 17 SEC	Size exclusion	17 µm
	WorkBeads 40 SEC	Size exclusion	40 µm
	WorkBeads 17Q and 17 S	Ion exchange	17 µm
	WorkBeads 40Q and 40S	Ion exchange	40 µm
	WorkBeads 40 IDA and 40 TREN	IMAC	40 µm
	WorkBeads 40 ACT	Pre-activated	40 µm

The Agarose Advantage

Bio-Works WorkBeads™ media are produced from agarose using a proprietary cross linking method that results in a highly porous and physically stable agarose matrix. Agarose based matrices have been successfully used for decades in biotechnology research and in the industrial purification of proteins.

Extremely Low Non-specific Interaction with Almost All Soluble Molecules.

Very Low Matrix Content: Agarose media has typically only 6% matrix content per volume (less chance for non-specific interaction). Synthetic matrices have typically 30% with much higher risk of interaction)
Very High Hydrophilicity: Most soluble molecules will not interact with hydrophilic surfaces. Synthetic media are more or less hydrophobic even when they have been modified to try to make them more hydrophilic. Synthetic media could be very hydrophobic such as divinylbenzene or less hydrophobic such as methacrylate
Very High Porosity: As most naturally found molecules are very large, large pores will provide a very large surface for interaction. Agarose does not have micropores that contribute to non-specific interaction in synthetic media.

Even a natural, hydrophilic material such as cellulose has higher non-specific interaction than agarose.

Cross Linked Agarose is Physically and Chemically Very Stable.

This high level of Chemical and Physical Stability is very beneficial for process flexibility, Process economics and process performance:

Flexibility to Work Across a Wide Range of pH: Properly crosslinked agarose has a stability range of pH 2-14. Many synthetic resins are not stable to high pH
Reliable Performance Over Time: Properly crosslinked agarose will keep its volume in different solvents and conditions (i.e. not swell and shrink.) This is important as the material may be used during extended periods in packed columns or filters without affecting its functionality.
Constistant Flow Properties: The surface of an agarose bead is very smooth and the bead has some elasticity: when run for extended periods in columns and filters, or when handled during packing and other operations it will not generate fines that can block the flow (fines are particles that have been broken off from the bead due to usage and stress.) Cellulose typically fragments easily on handling.
Acceptance By Regulatory Authorities: Agarose is known to have extremely low levels of leachables and what leaches are carbohydrates. These have little or no toxicity. Many synthetic media have been used for many years extensively at the laboratory scale but could never be scaled up because it hasn’t been possible to prevent the tiny amount of leakage of the charged groups. This leakage is not acceptable to the FDA for in-vivo use, but the FDA is very satisfied with the much higher ligand-stability of agarose media.