Size exclusion chromatography columns and resins Selection Guide

Principles of size exclusion chromatography
Size exclusion chromatography (SEC), also called gel filtration (GF), separates molecules on the basis ofdifferences in size as they pass through a SEC resin packed in a column. SEC resins consist of spherical chromatography particles (chromatography beads) with pores of different sizes where molecules small enough to enter the pores are retarded as compared to larger molecules (Fig 1). Samples are eluted isocratically (single buffer, no gradient). Buffer conditions can be varied to suit the sample type or the requirements for the next purification, analysis, or storage step.A variety of SEC resins with different selectivities are available and cover a molecular weight range (Mr)from Mr 100 to 100 000 000, from peptides to very large proteins, protein complexes, and viruses.