HOME / SERVICES / DATA COLLECTION SERVICES /

Protein Purification Services

Size Exclusion Chromatography

Size-Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), also known as Gel Filtration Chromatography separates macromolecules in solution by size and shape. Size-exclusion columns are packed with fine, porous beads composed of dextran polymers, agarose, polyacrylamide, or silica. The bead pore sizes determine the size of macromolecules separated by the column. Proteins are separated by hydrodynamic radius, with large proteins eluting before small proteins. Particles that are larger than the pore size will pass through the column quickly and elute first, in the “Void peak”. The smallest molecules, including sample solvent, will elute last, because they can fully diffuse into the smallest of the pores, therefore spending the most time in the column before eluting, in the “Solvent peak.” For globular proteins, hydrodynamic radius, and molecular weight (MW) are proportional, so SEC is often used to estimate the mass and oligomeric state of protein particles by comparison to a set of globular MW standards.

Illustration of Size Exclusion Chromatography

Protein Purification Service Overview

Protein Purification by FPLC

CMI AKTA Pure Liquid Chromatography System with autosampler and block fraction collection

  • Small to Medium Scale (up to 10 mg/ml, 500 μl) Purification Size-exclusion chromatography, includes:
    • Column equilibration in user-provided buffer.
    • Gel filtration standards in user buffer for mass estimation.

 

Data Collection Fees Summary

Data Collection

  • Limited Data Collection Services are offered.
  • Service fees are based on labor and supplies costs, and will be charged for all completed services, regardless of experimental outcome. 
  • Before submitting samples for data collection, users must approve the estimated charges and be given a date and time for sample delivery.
    • External Users will also be required to submit a PO and a signed CMI User Agreement.
  • Most CMI Data Collection Services include a setup fee plus a per-sample data collection fee.
    • Some services include replicate measurements by default in the per-sample fee. For others, there is a reduced-price replicate measurement fee, if collected in the same dataset.
  • Nanobody services not available to commercial users at this time.
  • Current Harvard Life Lab commercial users are offered a 25% discount off the standard commercial rates.

All Data Collection Fees

Data Collection Services 

The CMI offers data collection services for assessing protein quality and sample biophysical properties.   To start a conversation about a data collection services project, please contact the CMI or send a Sample Form to cmi@hms.harvard.edu.

Required Service Forms:

  • Sample Form, for gathering sample details to aid in data collection.  You may exclude proprietary information in your preliminary form (we'll let you know if essential information is missing). 
  • Academic Services Agreement, for EXTERNAL academic data collection service users
  • OR Industry Services Agreement, for industry data collection service users