Genentech Senior Design Project: Purification of a Ranibizumab-like Protein

Abstract

This project was completed by a Senior Design team of the Deparment of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. The goal of this project was to design a process to isolate and purify a monoclonal antibody similar to Ranibizumab, or “Lucentis”, which is used in the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration of the eyes, a leading cause of blindness. A focus on the chromatographical purification of Lucentis is provided, and both base and alternate cases for a complete process are presented. A discussion of relevant engineering economics and considerations for scale up of such a process are also included.