ULE Non-Detergent Endotoxin Removal Service

Endotoxin is a complex lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that is a part of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli.  Because of the naturally occurring ubiquity of E. coli (an E. coli lysate contains more than 2 million EU/ml), endotoxin, at some level, is present in all untreated materials, including laboratory equipment.

For most protein applications, the presence of endotoxin is not an issue. However, for proteins used as therapeutics, endotoxin levels must be reduced to extremely low levels to avoid unwanted cellular and immune responses. Endotoxin can be partially removed by detergent treatment and/or endotoxin-affinity chromatography, but these approaches either contaminate the protein with detergent or do not lower endotoxin to levels acceptable for pharmaceutical discovery and development purposes.

At mtibio, we manage endotoxin removal from the first purification step. Starting with exhaustively cleaned and validated equipment, we use detergent-free chromatography methods to lower endotoxin levels below detection of standard LAL (limulus amebocyte lysate) test systems. This is especially important for proteins expressed from E. coli that are intended for parenteral applications. Following proprietary techniques developed at mtibio, we have successfully expressed and purified multiple proteins and enzymes in E. coli and reduced endotoxin to levels below  0.1 EU/mg (0.005 EU/ml).

We go the extra mile to assure your protein will be measured by its target activity and not hampered by its endotoxin content. For endotoxin management in insect- and mammalian-cell expression systems, please see our Ultra-Low Endotoxin (ULE) purification services or contact us for more information.