High throughput synthesis and screening of new protein resistant surfaces for membrane filtration

A novel high throughput method for synthesis and screening of customized protein-resistant surfaces was developed. This method is an inexpensive, fast, reproducible and scalable approach to synthesize and screen protein-resistance surfaces appropriate for a specific feed. The method is illustrated here by combining a high throughput platform (HTP) approach together with our patented photo-induced graft polymerization (PGP) method developed for facile modification of commercial poly(aryl sulfone) membranes. This new HTP-PGP method was validated by comparison with our previous published results obtained using a bench-scale filtration assay of six well-studied monomers. Optimally-performing surfaces for resisting a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), were identified from a library of 66 monomers. Surfaces were prepared via graft polymerization onto poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membranes and were evaluated using a protein adsorption assay followed by pressure-driven filtration. Bench-scale verification was conducted for selected monomers using HTP-PGP method; a good correlation with HTP-PGP results was found.