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Molecule Database

Physical properties, separation techniques, and purification guides for molecules in downstream bioprocessing

Proteins & Enzymes

IgG (Monoclonal Antibody)

150,000 Da
Protein · pI 6–9.5
Therapeutic antibody purification via Protein A affinity chromatography

BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin)

66,500 Da
Protein · pI 4.7
Model protein for separation studies, serum protein purification

Insulin

5,808 Da
Protein · pI 5.3
Recombinant therapeutic protein from E. coli inclusion bodies

Lysozyme

14,300 Da
Enzyme · pI 11.35
Antimicrobial enzyme from egg white, cation exchange standard

Whey Protein

14,200–18,400 Da
Protein mixture
Beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin from dairy processing

Vancomycin

1,449 Da
Glycopeptide antibiotic
Last-resort antibiotic purification from Amycolatopsis fermentation

Organic Acids

Lactic Acid

90.08 Da
Organic acid · pKa 3.86
Fermentation product for food, pharma, and PLA bioplastics

Citric Acid

192.12 Da
Organic acid · pKa 3.1/4.8/6.4
Tricarboxylic acid from Aspergillus niger fermentation

Succinic Acid

118.09 Da
Organic acid · pKa 4.2/5.6
C4 platform chemical, biobased alternative to petrochemicals

Acetic Acid

60.05 Da
Organic acid · pKa 4.76
Vinegar acid, fermentation byproduct, industrial solvent

Butyric Acid

88.11 Da
Organic acid · pKa 4.82
Short-chain fatty acid for animal feed and chemical synthesis

Penicillin G

334.39 Da
Beta-lactam · pKa 2.75
Classic antibiotic purified by pH-dependent solvent extraction

Sugars, Alcohols & Salts

Glucose

180.16 Da
Monosaccharide · Neutral
Primary carbon source, fermentation substrate and byproduct

Lactose

342.30 Da
Disaccharide · Neutral
Dairy sugar, lactose-free product manufacturing

Ethanol

46.07 Da
Alcohol · BP 78.4°C
Bioethanol production, azeotrope challenge, molecular sieve dehydration

Glycerol

92.09 Da
Polyol · BP 290°C
Biodiesel co-product, pharmaceutical excipient

Sodium Chloride

58.44 Da
Salt · Solubility 360 g/L
Ubiquitous buffer component, salting-out agent, chromatography eluent

Frequently Asked Questions

What properties matter most for bioprocess separation design?

The key properties are molecular weight (determines membrane cutoff selection), isoelectric point (determines ion exchange binding pH), solubility (determines crystallization feasibility), and charge (determines chromatography mode). Understanding these for your target molecule and main impurities allows you to select the right sequence of separation steps.

How do I find the right separation technique for my molecule?

Start with the size difference between your target and impurities — if >10× MW difference, membrane filtration (UF/NF) works well. For charge differences, ion exchange chromatography is ideal. For hydrophobicity differences, reverse-phase or HIC applies. The untangle.bio app lets you input all molecule properties and automatically generates ranked process routes.

Where can I find physical property data for bioprocess molecules?

Each molecule page on this site lists MW, pKa, isoelectric point, solubility, density, boiling point, diffusion coefficient, and vapor pressure. For proteins, the isoelectric point is especially critical. For organic acids, pKa values determine pH-dependent solubility and charge state.

Design Purification Processes for Any Molecule

Select molecules from our database, define feed streams, and let untangle.bio generate optimal purification routes with mass balance and cost estimation.

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