Affinity chromatography

This review discusses affinity chromatography and its current applications. This method is a type of liquid chromatography in which a biologically related agent is used as a stationary phase to purify or analyze the components of a sample or complex mixture. The basic components of this method are discussed, including an overview of the general binding agents, supports, immobilization methods, and sample application or elution schemes that are employed. Several types of affinity chromatography are then described, along with the target compounds or applications for which they are utilized. These types include bioaffinity chromatography, immunoaffinity chromatography, dye-ligand or biomimetic affinity chromatography, immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography, and analytical affinity chromatography. Other developments in this field are also considered, such as the use of affinity chromatography with mass spectrometry, binding agents that consist of aptamers or molecularly imprinted polymers, and miniaturized systems for chemical separation or analysis.