Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Affinity Chromatography

Affinity chromatography is a separation technique that purifies biomolecules on the basis of a specific, reversible interaction between a target molecule and a complementary ligand immobilized on a solid support. A sample is passed through the matrix so that molecules with affinity for the ligand are retained while …

Curated from this journal's research 📚 8 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 16× across the literature 🗓 Reviewed September 2026

Overview

Affinity chromatography is a separation technique that purifies biomolecules on the basis of a specific, reversible interaction between a target molecule and a complementary ligand immobilized on a solid support. A sample is passed through the matrix so that molecules with affinity for the ligand are retained while others wash through; the bound target is then recovered by altering buffer conditions, for example through changes in pH, ionic strength, or addition of a competing eluent. Common ligand-target pairs exploit biological recognition such as antigen-antibody, enzyme-substrate or enzyme-inhibitor, lectin-carbohydrate, and metal-ion to histidine-tagged protein interactions. Because selectivity derives from molecular recognition rather than bulk physicochemical properties, affinity chromatography can achieve high purification in a single step and is widely used to isolate proteins, antibodies, and recombinant enzymes from complex mixtures, as in the purification of monoclonal single-chain antibody fragments or the characterization of cloned and expressed glycoside hydrolases. It is frequently combined with downstream analytical methods, including mass spectrometry, for identification and characterization of the purified species. Successful application depends on selecting an appropriate ligand, optimizing binding and elution conditions to preserve activity, and minimizing nonspecific adsorption. Affinity chromatography remains a foundational tool in protein biochemistry, molecular biology, and biotechnology.

Research published in this journal

8 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

2018

Enzymology in its Second Century

Brumm PhillipCorresponding author
C5-6 Technologies LLC, 5627 Old Oak Drive, Fitchburg, WI 53711, USA
Exact topic Enzymes doi:10.14302/issn.2690-4829.jen-18-2010

How this research is being cited

The 8 articles above have been cited 16 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Affinity Chromatography, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in New Developments in Molecular Biology.

Journal editorial board
Chengyue Zhang · United States Hamid Vaez · Iran, Islamic Republic of MARINA PISCOPO · Italy

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.