Scientific journal highlights revolutionary technology to resolve filter blockage in separation and purification workflows.
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A research paper by a joint team from Gel Coat Biomaterials, Inc. The University of Tokyo, and DAiSEN MEMBRANE-SYSTEMS LTD. has been published in MRS Communications. The technology resulting from this research can dramatically resolve "filter clogging in separation and purification processes," which has been a major hurdle in biotechnology and medical diagnostics for years.
Conventional Challenge: Filter Clogging due to Protein Adsorption
In the medical and pharmaceutical fields, the process of separating and purifying specific proteins and cells (such as vaccines, drug delivery vehicles, and exosomes) is critical. However, conventional "hollow fiber membrane" filters (thin, straw-like membranes) faced a significant issue: proteins stick to membrane surface and pores, causing clogging (fouling) that degrades separation performance. This clogging reduces processing speed (permeation flux) and shortens filter life, necessitating frequent replacements and cleaning, which increases operational costs.
This paper proves the effectiveness of a newly developed special coating technology designed to suppress this "clogging."
Technical Superiority
The core feature of this technology is achieving both "protein-repelling properties" and "stability for firm attachment to the membrane." The hydrogel coating used in this research combines molecules with the following three functions:
Hydrophilic Unit: Repels proteins to prevent adsorption.
Hydrophobic Unit: Anchors to the membrane surface to stabilize the coating.
Interfacial Binding Unit: Bonds to the membrane surface to form a robust, peel-resistant film.
Results
Generally, increasing coating thickness prevents clogging but worsens water flow (permeability). However, this research demonstrates that the hydrogel of Gel Coat Biomaterials achieves an excellent balance:
Maintains High Permeability: Retains over 50% of the water flow rate compared to unprocessed membranes.
Overwhelming Anti-fouling Performance: Dramatically suppresses clogging (flux decline) caused by large proteins such as gamma-globulin.
Uniform Coating: Successfully formed an ultra-thin (only 20 nanometers) and uniform film inside the hollow fiber.
Data Analysis
Figure 4 (c) (i): Changes in Permeation Flux Over Time
This graph shows how smoothly liquid passes through the membrane over time (LMH: Liters per Square Meter per Hour).
Unprocessed Cellulose Acetate (CA) Membrane (Blue Plot): Shows the highest flux initially, but a sharp decline occurs over time. This indicates that proteins are rapidly sticking to the surface and pores, leading to fouling.
PMMMSi60 Modified Membrane (Yellow/Green Plots): The initial flux starts lower than the unprocessed membrane due to coating resistance. However, the decline over time is minimal, eventually resulting in a reversal where it maintains a higher flux than the unprocessed membrane.
Conclusion: The modified membrane offers an overwhelming advantage in long-term manufacturing processes.
Figure 4 (c) (ii): Changes in Protein Transmission Rate
This graph shows the variation in the amount of protein passing through the membrane. ΔCp/Cf represents the value obtained by subtracting the initial transmission rate (at 5 minutes) from the rate at a given time.
Unprocessed CA Membrane (Blue Plot): The value drops significantly toward the negative, eventually reaching near -0.25. This indicates that proteins are being adsorbed by the membrane, reducing the amount of protein exiting the permeate side (meaning product loss is occurring).
PMMMSi60 Modified Membrane (Yellow/Green Plots): The decline is extremely small, remaining stable near zero. This proves that proteins pass through smoothly without
being adsorbed, maintaining initial separation performance for a long duration.
Conclusion
This technology prevents "product loss due to adsorption" and allows for continuous recovery with consistent quality, making it extremely effective for purifying expensive biopharmaceuticals and diagnostic targets (such as exosomes). By preventing unnecessary adsorption, target substance loss is minimized. The stability of performance even after 250 minutes suggests that filter replacement frequency can be significantly reduced.
Scalability and Future Outlook
This technology is widely applicable:
Application to Diverse Substrates: While demonstrated on cellulose acetate membranes, the design concept can be transferred to other medical polymers like silicone rubber and plastics.
Customizability: By adjusting the monomer ratio, the coating can be optimized for specific target proteins or environments.
Based on a simple dip-coating method, the manufacturing process is easy to establish. It requires no special large-scale equipment; the process is completed simply by circulating the solution and heat-drying, enabling the provision of high-quality products at a reasonable cost.
Specific Applications and Market Impact
This technology holds high value in the high-growth biotech market:
1. Vaccine and Pharmaceutical Filtration Market (2026 Market Size: $14.27 Billion)
The reduction in flow rate (flux decline) due to protein adsorption has been improved from 32% to 15%, a reduction of more than half. As a result, the cumulative flow volume that can be processed by a single membrane has approximately doubled, leading to a decrease in replacement frequency. In biopurification processes, filters are consumables typically replaced on a "per-batch basis." Since this technology can extend the replacement cycle by twofold, it contributes to a 50% reduction in filter-related budgets (equivalent to annual consumable savings in the tens of millions of yen).
By extending the filter lifespan on production lines and reducing downtime, production efficiency is significantly enhanced. The biopharmaceutical filtration market is a key segment of the overall Pharmaceutical Filtration market, which is projected to reach approximately $14.27 billion (approx. 2.1 trillion JPY) in 2026 and is forecast to grow to $20.38 billion by 2034 at a CAGR of 4.5%. Driven by the growth of the biopharmaceutical industry and increasingly strict purity regulations, the demand for high-performance membranes that prevent clogging is extremely robust.
2. Medical Devices & Hemodialysis Membrane Market (2026 Market Size: $10.31 Billion)
This technology is applicable as a safe coating for blood-contacting devices, such as artificial dialysis, to prevent thrombus formation and performance degradation. The global market for "Hemodialysis Membranes" used in dialysis equipment is estimated to reach $10.31 billion in 2026 and is projected to grow to $15.01 billion by 2035.
By suppressing protein adsorption and enabling stable, long-term operation, this technology has the potential to become the "next-generation standard," reducing the replacement frequency of consumables and easing the economic burden on both patients and medical institutions. Until the end of a long treatment session, the most critical factor is the reliability of the coating—specifically, whether it has peeled off. With conventional coatings that rely solely on physical adsorption, there were concerns that components could peel off due to blood flow friction and enter the patient's body. However, this technology firmly anchors the polymer to the membrane using "interfacial chemical bonding" (network-like bonding). This "peel-resistant stability" allows the device to be used with confidence even in advanced, long-duration blood purification procedures.
3. Next-Generation Blood Diagnostics (2026 Market Size: $450 Million)
"Exosomes," which serve as diagnostic markers for cancer, can be recovered from blood and other fluids with high efficiency and in a short amount of time. The overall exosome market is expanding rapidly, with a projected market size of approximately $450 million (approx. 67 billion JPY) in 2026, and is forecast to reach $6.75 billion by 2035 at a CAGR of 34.9%.
In particular, "separation and purification methods," which account for more than 55% of the workflow, represent the largest revenue source, and this technology directly targets this core area. Conventional ultracentrifugation requires more than 16 hours and is unsuitable for clinical settings; however, rapid recovery via this membrane technology will accelerate adoption in the diagnostic market (which accounts for approximately 61% of the total market).
Until now, the application of hollow fiber membrane methods has been hindered by the trade-off between "clogging" and "reduced permeability." By simultaneously satisfying three essential elements: "repelling proteins," "being ultra-thin so as not to block pores," and "not peeling off", this technology becomes a practical option for next-generation blood diagnostics. These research results provide a definitive solution to the problem of clogging for the combined filtration and separation markets, which exceed $25 billion (approx. 3.8 trillion JPY) annually.
Table: Summary of Economic Benefits
Benefit | Description |
Cost Reduction | Reduces consumable costs and labor by extending filter lifespan. |
Quality Stability | Suppresses protein denaturation and improves the recovery rate of target substances. |
Improved Throughput | Increases production throughput by maintaining stable flow rates even during long operations. |
Reference Paper
The paper is open access and can be read at the following link:
Market Information Sources
Vaccine/Pharma (Pharmaceutical Filtration): Precedence Research predicts the market to hit $20.38 billion by 2034.
URL: Pharmaceutical Filtration Market Size to Hit USD 20.38 Bn by 2034
Medical Devices (Hemodialysis Membrane): Business Research Insights estimates the market to reach $15.01 billion by 2035.
URL: Hemodialysis Membrane Market Size, Share, & Growth [2035]
Next-Gen Diagnostics (Exosomes): Business Research Insights predicts the market to reach $6.75 billion by 2035.
URL: Exosome Diagnostic And Therapeutics Market Size, Share & Forecast Report,2035
Contact Information:
For those interested in the hydrogel coating used in this research, please contact Gel Coat Biomaterials,Inc.