Efficient recovery and utilization of valuable components from industrial food side streams is a main driver towards a circular economy. Among different available purification techniques, adsorption can effectively recover these components. However, the conventional batch mode of operation can limit its applicability in food processes due to limited efficiency. This work compares conventional batch packed bed adsorption with semi-continuous adsorption (so-called CaptureSMB) for the recovery of sinapic acid at industrial scale, using a food grade resin AmberliteTM FPX66. A mathematical mechanistic model able to describe semi-continuous operation is successfully validated and used to identify optimum operating parameters to maximize productivity and resin capacity utilization in batch and semi-continuous operating modes. The results indicate that CaptureSMB outperforms batch operation, increasing productivity from 5.18 g/L/h to 10.3 g/L/h for a given yield (>97%). A resin capacity utilization (RU) of around 70% is observed in both operating modes when productivity is maximized. A 92% RU can be accomplished for a given yield using the CaptureSMB process at a productivity of 7.0 g/L/h, higher than for conventional batch operation. The use of semi-continuous adsorption operation in food industry contributes to more efficient processes at reduced purification costs.@en

The implementation of continuous processing in the biopharmaceutical industry is hindered by the scarcity of process analytical technologies (PAT). To monitor and control a continuous process, PAT tools will be crucial to measure real-time product quality attributes such as protein aggregation. Miniaturizing these analytical techniques can increase measurement speed and enable faster decision-making. A fluorescent dye (FD)-based miniaturized sensor has previously been developed: a zigzag microchannel which mixes two streams under 30 s. Bis-ANS and CCVJ, two established FDs, were employed in this micromixer to detect aggregation of the biopharmaceutical monoclonal antibody (mAb). Both FDs were able to robustly detect aggregation levels starting at 2.5%. However, the real-time measurement provided by the microfluidic sensor still needs to be implemented and assessed in an integrated continuous downstream process. In this work, the micromixer is implemented in a lab-scale integrated system for the purification of mAbs, established in an ÄKTA™ unit. A viral inactivation and two polishing steps were reproduced, sending a sample of the product pool after each phase directly to the microfluidic sensor for aggregate detection. An additional UV sensor was connected after the micromixer and an increase in its signal would indicate that aggregates were present in the sample. The at-line miniaturized PAT tool provides a fast aggregation measurement, under 10 min, enabling better process understanding and control.@en