Provided herein are, inter alia, biological manufacturing and downstream purification processes.

Methods of making a poly(propylenimine) (PPI) sorbent, a PPI sorbent, structures including the PPI sorbent, methods of separating CO.sub.2 using the PPI sorbent, and the like, are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a water extraction system for up-concentration of organic solutes comprising a flow cell comprising a membrane; said membrane comprising an active layer comprising immobilized aquaporin water channels and a support layer, and said membrane having a feed side and a non-feed side; and an aqueous source solution in fluid communication with the feed side of the membrane. The system also includes an aqueous source solution in fluid communication with the feed side of the membrane and an aqueous draw solution in fluid communication with the draw side of the membrane. The aqueous source solution comprises the organic solutes. The membrane module comprises an inlet and an outlet for the aqueous draw solution. The aquaporin vesicles are formed by self-assembly of block copolymers in the presence of an aquaporin protein suspension.

Described herein are nanofibers and methods for making nanofibers that include any one or more of (a) a non-homogeneous charge density; (b) a plurality of regions of high charge density; and/or (c) charged nanoparticles or chargeable nanoparticles. In one aspect, the present invention fulfills a need for filtration media that are capable of both high performance (e.g., removal of particle sizes between 0.1 and 0.5 μm) with a low pressure drop, however the invention is not limited in this regard.

Disclosed are compositions for use in the simultaneous removal of endotoxins from dialysate and uremic solutes from blood during the treatment of patients. The treatment is selected from the group consisting of hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration. The compositions comprise sorbent particles embedded in a membrane comprising a polymer and a hydrophilic additive.

The present disclosure is directed to affinity chromatography devices including a fibrillated polymer membrane that contains inorganic particles having a spherical shape and a particle size distribution that has a D90/D10 less than or equal to 3. A blend or a combination of spherical inorganic particles may be utilized. A nominal particle size of the spherical inorganic particles is from about 5 microns to about 20 microns. An affinity ligand may be bonded to the spherical inorganic particles and/or to the fibrillated polymer membrane. Also, the affinity chromatography devices have a hydraulic permeability from about 100 (×10.sup.−12 cm.sup.2) to about 500 (×10.sup.−12 cm.sup.2). Additionally, the affinity chromatography devices have a cycling durability of at least 100 cycles without exceeding an pressure of 0.3 MPa. Manifolds containing multiple affinity chromatography devices in a parallel configuration and multiple manifolds in a parallel configuration are also disclosed.

An article having a nanoporous membrane and a nanoporous graphene sheet layered on the nanoporous membrane. A method of: depositing a layer of a diblock copolymer onto a graphene sheet, and etching a minor phase of the diblock copolymer and a portion of the graphene in contact with the minor phase to form a nanoporous article having a nanoporous graphene sheet and a nanoporous layer of a polymer. A method of: depositing a hexaiodo-substituted macrocycle onto a substrate having a Ag(111) surface; coupling the macrocycle to form a nanoporous graphene sheet; layering the graphene sheet and substrate onto a nanoporous membrane with the graphene sheet in contact with the nanoporous membrane; and etching away the substrate.

In particles removal with extremely high filtration efficiency and the ability to block submicron airborne particles by a sieving mechanism is provided. This novel nanoporous filter advantageously combines extremely high transmittance for visible light and ultraviolet light, reusability after cleaning or disinfection by ultraviolet irradiation or simple washing, a customizable sieving pore size ranging from a few nanometers to 500 nanometers, and the ability to carry bactericidal, virucidal or other reagents or particles on the nano or micro scale.

A method of manufacturing a PVDF composite separation membrane according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has advantages in that it is possible to control the size of pores in various ways based on the nonsolvent-induced phase transition process and calcination process, and manufacture a porous high-strength PVDF composite separation membrane having high water permeability, and it is possible to manufacture a PVDF composite separation membrane which may exhibit durability that does not damage the membrane even under high pressure, while having heat resistance applicable even at a high temperature of 150° C., and excellent chemical resistance to acids and alkalis, and suppress heavy metal adsorption and biofouling phenomenon, and may allow an organic material to be decomposed by ultrasonic waves or UV photocatalysts. In addition, the PVDF composite separation membrane has excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance properties, suppresses the biofouling phenomenon, and exhibits high ultrasonic reactivity.

Nano diamond particles with facile surface functionality and biocompatibility properties are added into membranes used for filtration treatments. FTIR spectra confirm an increase of oxygen functional groups onto the Ultra Dispersed Diamond’s (UDD) surface following acid treatment. SEM images show particle deagglomeration of functionalized UDD at the membrane surface. PES and PDVF membranes express a change in their yield point when UDD is incorporated into the porous matrix. Significant microorganism reduction is obtained and confirmed using t-test analysis at a 95% level of confidence. UDD embedded membranes exhibit a significant bactericidal reduction compared to commercial membranes.