This interdisciplinary research project is concerned with the fields of chemical engineering and biology and involves isolation of proteins from hyperthermophilic bacteria. Study of biomolecules from these novel microorganisms requires creative approches to optimizing growth, separating bioproducts, and isolating proteins. Using a blend of two purification schemes, affinity chromatography and high liquid chromotography, in a recently developed technique - high performance liquid affinity chromatography (HPLAC) - selected proteins from thermophiles and hyperthermophiles will be isolated and purified. In this combination, advantage is taken of the selectivity of the affinity system and the speed and high resolution of the liquid system. The use of the HPLAC technique is expected to eliminate the high protein losses associated with multistep purification. The stability of proteins from hyperthermophilic bacteria is of great interest in optimizing high temperature reactions in industry.
