The disclosure relates to systems and methods for improving the manufacturing of silk solutions and powders containing silk fibroin obtained from silkworm cocoons. The solutions and powders can be used to improve the post-harvest preservation of perishables and to improve the performance of packaging, including biodegradable packaging.

Systems and methods for separating a liquid mixture are disclosed. A membrane is first soaked by the liquid mixture via dynamic soaking to reach steady state. During the soaking process, the flow rate of the liquid mixture is increased at a flow rate ramp, the temperature is increased at a temperature ramp, and the pressure drop is increased at a pressure drop ramp. After the soaking process, the liquid mixture is separated by the membrane under optimized conditions to produce a permeate and a retentate.

A method of processing a liquid including adding an antifoam to a process liquid, and after adding the antifoam, continuously feeding the process liquid through one or more cross-flow filter membrane configured for cross-flow filtration, wherein the antifoam includes a mixture of (A) a vegetable oil and (B) an organic emulsifier or surfactant. The antifoam may, for example, not contain silicone.

A method for modifying the flow capabilities of an existing tangential flow filtration (TFF) system is contemplated in which the processing capabilities of the existing static TFF system may be increased without requiring the addition of additional systems running in parallel. This may be achieved via adjusting or replacing certain of the components of the TFF skid to accommodate a tubing set having a larger (or smaller) internal diameter than the existing tubing set or the tubing set for which the TFF system was originally manufactured. In this fashion, it may be seen that an existing skid may have its flow capabilities dramatically increased. It is further contemplated that a retrofit kit for an existing TFF system for use according to the described method may be provided.

In alternative embodiments, provided are compositions, including products of manufacture and kits, and methods, for purifying bacteriophage. Provided herein is are practicable methods, or protocols, that are “Good Laboratory Manufacturing Practice” (GLMP), for phage isolation, selection, liter-scaled cultivation, and purification. In alternative embodiments, GLMP protocols as provided herein employ membrane filtration processes to yield at least about 300 treatment doses at about 10.sup.9 plaque-forming units with endotoxin levels within human therapeutic regulatory limits. In alternative embodiments, provided are formulations or pharmaceutical preparations of bacteriophage comprising 10.sup.9 PFU, 10.sup.10 PFU, 10.sup.11 PFU, or 10.sup.12 PFU or more per unit dose and endotoxin levels below about 5.5 EU.Math.mL.sup.−1, or below about 5.0 EU.Math.mL.sup.−1.

A filter screening tool, system, and method allowing high throughput screening of filters (such as hollow fiber filters), such as for use in bioprocessing workflows. Feed material may be fed through different filter modules to assess, measure, analyze, determine, evaluate, teste, compare, screen, etc., properties or characteristics, etc., of filters within the filter modules. Each filter module may house a different type (e.g., material or configuration) of filter so that different filters may be compared and screened, such as for a selected use.

A crossflow filtration unit for continuous diafiltration of a feed fluid for obtaining a retentate and a permeate, a corresponding method for diafiltration and the use of the crossflow filtration unit are provided. The crossflow filtration unit includes a diafiltration channel, a flat first filter material, a retentate channel, a flat second filter material, and a permeate collection channel, arranged such that the flat first filter material delimits the diafiltration channel and the retentate channel from one another, and the flat second filter material delimits the retentate channel and the permeate collection channel from one another. The diafiltration channel is fluidly connected to at least one inlet for the diafiltration medium, the retentate channel is fluidly connected to at least one inlet for the feed fluid and to at least one outlet for the retentate. The permeate collection channel is fluidly connected to at least one outlet for the permeate.

The invention concerns a set of tubular elastic coupling bodies arranged opposing at inlet and outlet of a filter cartridge.

The tubular elastic end coupling, comprises a tube end adapted to fit on the filter cartridge inlet/outlet. The elastic end coupling comprises one or more tubular fluid connections for conveying fluid to and from external means for fluid content separation purposes by said membrane filter cartridge.

An ion-exchange apparatus has a raw-water tank 1, a treatment tank 2, an ion exchanger 3 and a voltage applying device E. The raw-water tank 1 contains a to be treated liquid that has impurity ions. The treatment tank 2 contains a treatment material with exchange ions exchangeable with the impurity ions. The ion exchanger 3 enables the passage of the impurity ions from the raw-water tank 1 to the treatment tank 2 and the passage of the exchange ions from the treatment tank 2 to the raw-water tank 1. The voltage-applying device E applies a voltage to the ion exchanger 3.

A crossflow filter includes a rigid cylindrical inner wall and a rigid cylindrical outer wall with an inelastic filter membrane positioned therebetween defining a retentate channel inside the filter membrane and a permeate channel outside the filter membrane. Further, the filter includes transition channels shaped and connected to the inner and outer walls to deliver a flow of fluid from an inlet port to the retentate channel and to capture flow flowing longitudinally along the cylindrical inner and outer walls from both the retentate and permeate channels to respective outlet ports.