• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.6 no.6
• /
• pp.363-375
• /
• 2001

Chromatography has been method of choice for the separation complex biologi-cal mixtures fro analytical purpose, particularly for the last fifty years. Its use has recently been extended to preparative separation where the productivity relative to the amount of resin and sol-vent used is a matter of concern. To overcome the inherent thermodynamic inefficiency of batch chromatography, as exemplified by the partial temporal usage of the resin and dilution of the product with the solvent, chromatography has been continually modified by separation engineers. Column switching and recycling represnet some of the process modifications that have brought high productivity to chromatography. Recently, the simulated moving bed (SMB) method, which claims a high separation efficiency based on counter-current moving bed chromatography. has be-come the mainstay of preparative separation, especially in chiral separation. Accordingly, this pa-per reviews the current status of SMB along with several chromatographic modification, which may be helpful in routine laboratory and industrial chromatographic practices.