IN 45 100 010 • AA • 10 / 12
Maintenance of the column
Unpacking and inspection
Unpack the shipment as soon as it arrives and inspect it for damage. Promptly report any damage or
discrepancies to your local supplier.
Cleaning
During purification impurities such as cell debris, lipids, nucleic acids and protein precipitates from the samples
may gradually build up in the resin. The severity of this process depends on the type of sample applied to the
column, and the pre-treatment of the sample. The impurities may reduce the performance of the column over
time. Regular cleaning (Cleaning-in-place, CIP) keeps the resin clean, reduces the rate of further contamination,
and prolongs the capacity, resolution and flow properties of the column. Cleaning of a resin using 1 M NaOH
applied by a low reversed flow for 2 hours or overnight is often sufficient.
CIP of the column can be carried out as followed:
1.
Wash the column with 5 CV deionized water.
2.
Apply 3 - 10 CV of 0.5 - 1 M NaOH for 15 - 30 minutes.
Note: The contact time is the important factor, treatment with NaOH overnight can be necessary if
severely fouled.
3.
Wash the column with 5 - 10 CV deionized water or binding buffer (until the column is neutral after CIP).
4.
Equilibrate the column with 10 CV 20% ethanol (for storage).
Sanitization (reduction of microorganisms) can be done using combinations of NaOH and ethanol (e.g.,
incubation with a mixture of 0.5 M NaOH and 40% ethanol for 3 hours). The sanitization procedure and its
effectiveness will depend on the microorganisms to be removed, and needs to be evaluated for each case.
Storage
Equilibrate the column with 20% ethanol and close it securely using the included plug and cap. Store the column
at 2 to 25 °C.