Traditional Chemical Isolation

• Isolating protein is done traditionally by sampling the tissue or plant material, mixing in a buffer to prevent acidosis or destruction of the cells, grinding down the mixture, placing it into a test tube and transferring that to a centrifuge. The samples are spun for 15 minutes and the mixture transferred to test tubes and stored in a freezer (at -80 F) while a detergent-compatible (DC) assay solution is mixed. The DC assay solution reacts with the proteins and causes changes in color necessary for separation. The DC assay is added to the test tubes, which are put into the centrifuge for 15 minutes. According to Bio Rad (one of the leading companies in life science research), "As with any colorimetric assay, different proteins will elicit greater or lesser color formation." At that point, the samples are frozen overnight and thawed the next day. Then the solution is washed, dried, re-hydrated and separated.
  
  

Innovations in Isolation

• Two innovations to protein isolation exist. Using a similar process as the traditional approach to isolation, Ying-Chih Wang, post-doctoral associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, came up with a twist on harvesting the isolated proteins. In his multi-dimensional protein/peptide separation research, he developed a multi-dimensional bimolecular separation device with a trap column (and another using two sets of micro valves) to collect proteins. Target proteins are moved into a trap region and closed off using a valve. Another channel is opened with two valves and collects the remaining proteins, preventing intermixing between the different proteins.
  
  A team at MIT developed a microchip system that "...promises to speed up the separation and sorting of biomolecules such as proteins." The anisotropic nanofluidic sieving structure enables continuous-flow separation of proteins, which means continuous harvesting and sampling of the desired proteins. This method allows for faster and easier sorting of proteins with a higher efficiency rate.
  
  

Applications

• Protein isolation is used in food science, medicine and biomechanics. The food science industry uses protein separation for various food products, including protein powders for body builders.
  
  Medical scientists are studying proteins in cancer research. In 2009, the Nobel Prize in medicine went to three researchers who discovered the enzyme telomerase through protein isolation. According to Dr. Muller, a cancer researcher with the University of Central Florida, "Ninety percent of all cancer cells are telomerase rich."
  
  Another application in the biomedical industry is biocells. Dr. Thomas Squier, of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, isolated a protein and used it to produce light. This light is electric current that creates a biofuel cell or living battery. According to Dr. Squier, "Using pure protein opens up the possibility of shrinking biofuel cells to power small electronic devices." These miniature biofuel cells can power pacemakers. Many other applications in science, medicine and industry use protein isolation for unique solutions.