Optimization and control of crystal shape and size in protein crystallization process

Abstract The purpose of the current work is to develop optimization techniques for protein crystallisation processes for controlled manufacture of protein crystals with desired shape. Based on a newly developed morphological population balance model for protein crystallisation that can simulate the multidimensional size distributions of a population of crystals, known as shape distribution, an optimisation technique is applied to investigate and control the growth of individual faces with the aim of obtaining desired crystal shape. Using a target shape distribution as the objective function, optimal temperature and supersaturation profiles leading to the desired crystal shape were derived. Genetic algorithm was investigated and found to be an effective optimisation technique for the current application.