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    Biotech

    Transforming Purification with i3 DMC

    With i3 DMC, the first Digital Membrane Chromatography system,
    i3 Membrane is opening up new possibilities for modern purification. The technology combines Membrane Chromatography with control via an electric potential, enabling faster, more precise, and gentler purification pH-senstive antibodies.

    Man with beard, safety goggles and white shirt working in a biotech environment

    Rethink Antibody Purification

    Biopharmaceutical research is increasingly developing complex antibody formats such as bispecific/multispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), antibody fragments, or other particularly sensitive formats. This also raises the need for for purification during discovery and early development processes. This is because structural complexity can induce the formation of aggregates and fragments and affect sample quality.
    Gentle elution thus becomes a critical factor for subsequent analytical procedures. Conventional low-pH elutions, such as those used in Protein A-based purification processes, are well established but can stress sensitive antibody formats and compromise analytical results even before the actual characterization takes place.
    This is precisely where Digital Membrane Chromatography (DMC) comes into play. It combines Chromatography membranes with low electrical voltage, making the release of bound molecules digitally controllable. Elution does not occur under conventional acidic buffer conditions but is triggered directly on the membrane by a predefined electrical voltage, entirely without the use of conventional low-pH elution buffers.
    i3 DMC therefore opens up new possibilities for sample preparation in discovery, analytics, and early development. The technology reduces harsh process conditions, helps preserve protein integrity, and makes samples available more quickly for downstream analyses. In this way, i3 DMC addresses a key challenge in modern antibody research: Rapid purification with maximum recovery rates, without acid-induced aggregation or fragmentation. With applications such as Protein A, AEX, and CEX, i3 DMC is also designed for a variety of purification strategies and is not limited to a single application. This creates a new approach to fast, precise, and gentlei3 purification processes in modern biotech workflows.

    DMC – A successful product combination

    Digital Membrane Chromatography combines two key components: A functionalized membrane adsorbent and the i3 DMC Control unit. The membrane provides the chromatographic selectivity, while the control unit regulates the elution step using an electrical voltage.

    In the first step, i3 DMC follows the well-known principle of membrane chromatography. The sample is applied to the membrane adsorber, where the target molecule selectively binds to the membrane. Depending on the application, different functionalizations are used, including Protein A for antibodies and Fc-containing proteins, as well as AEX and CEX membranes for ion-exchange-based separation processes. The technological difference lies in the elution process. While traditional chromatographic methods typically trigger the release of bound molecules through altered buffer conditions, high salt concentrations, or low pH values, i3 DMC triggers this release electrically. Using the i3 DMC Control, a voltage is applied to the membranes, thereby altering the local electrochemical conditions within the membrane system. These locally generated changes influence the interaction between the membrane and the target molecule, enabling its release.

    In this way, elution is no longer determined solely by the composition of the elution buffer, but is supplemented by a targeted voltage. The applied voltage can cause a local pH shift at the integrated electrodes, which specifically affect the binding environment within the membrane system. In addition to voltage, buffer conductivity, salts, and electrolyte composition are important parameters for the process, as they can influence the electrochemical reactions and thus the efficiency of elution. This transforms an established chromatographic purification principle into a digitally controllable workflow: The membrane ensures binding and selectivity, while the electronic control system precisely triggers the elution pulse.  In this way, i3 DMC expands  membrane chromatography by adding an additional process level and establishes a gentle alternative to low-pH elution.

    Detailed information on the mechanism of action and experimental data regarding the use of DMC can be found in a recent study by the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences.

    What users say

    „Non-low pH elution avoids concentration loss and potential protein degradation.“

    – Associate Scientist

    „The strong peak intensity achieved with i3 DMC PrA is remarkable. For pH-sensitive antibodies, this technology could be a game changer.“

    – Scientist, Purification department

    Workflow Efficiency

    In antibody purification, it is not only the actual binding and elution that determine the quality of the result, but the entire workflow. Every additional process step involves manual labor and time and can lead to sample loss, changes in volume, or additional variability. The goal is therefore not only to successfully purify antibodies, but also to deliver them as unchanged as possible, in a reproducible manner, and ready for downstream analyses.

    The practical advantage of i3 DMC is particularly evident when compared to traditional workflows: After conventional elution, the sample is often not yet immediately ready for analysis. It must be neutralized, rebuffered, concentrated, or further processed before it can be used in analytical methods. i3 DMC addresses this very issue by reducing downstream intermediate steps and simplifying the path from purification to analysis. This results in a streamlined purification process that enhances sample quality, reproducibility, and data availability – particularly in workflows where speed and reliable analytical results must go hand in hand.

    Product Benefits of i3 DMC Technology

    i3 DMC enables gentle antibody purification without traditional acidic elution conditions, thereby helping to preserve molecular integrity. At the same time, the technology reduces manual intermediate steps such as neutralization, buffer exchanges, or post-processing. This results in analysis-ready eluates with high monomer recovery more quickly and with less workflow complexity.

    • i3 DMC avoids traditional low-pH elution buffers, thereby reducing pH-induced stress during purification. This helps preserve monomeric antibody structures and minimizes purification-related artifacts. Scientific studies on Protein A membrane chromatography show that very high recovery rates are possible under milder elution conditions.

    • Direct elution with a neutral elution buffer – such as a diluted PBS solution – makes purified antibody samples immediately available for downstream analyses. Additional steps such as buffer exchange, neutralization, or time-consuming post-processing are no longer necessary. This simplifies the mAb workflow and minimizes key sources of variability.

    • In less than 10 minutes, purified antibody samples are produced that can be used directly for downstream analyses, such as MS, ELISA, SPR, and BLI. The streamlined sample preparation reduces wait times in the workflow, accelerates experimental cycles, and enables faster data generation in early-stage discovery and screening processes.

    • With an average recovery rate of over 90%, i3 DMC delivers efficient purification of valuable antibody samples, even when only small initial quantities are available. This ensures that more usable material is preserved for downstream analyses and maximizes the data yield from early-stage discovery samples.

    • The membrane adsorber format enables a streamlined purification process that is easy to use with conventional chromatography systems. This makes the application simple, more standardized, and less dependent on manual intervention. As a result, operator-dependent variability between experiments can be reduced, supporting reproducible results in early-stage discovery and analytical workflows.

    i3 DMC PrA 0.1 mL | Membrane Adsorber
    3D model of i3 dmccontrol smart control unit
    i3 DMC Control | Smart Control Unit

    References

    1 Sandeep Kaur, Jonas Kick, Christian Frech Electrically driven elution in digital Protein A membrane chromatography: An alternative to traditional low-pH elution Journal of Chromatography A, 1783, 467175. 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2026.467175