BIOTECH SKILL BUILDING: ÄKTA CHROMATOGRAPHY SYSTEMS

Preparing students for postgraduate success is a cornerstone of COLSA’s mission. One way the college is meeting this commitment is by making strategic investments in the stateof-the-art lab technology used by the companies and research institutions that attract many of our students after they earn their undergraduate degrees.

Recently, COLSA acquired eight ÄKTA chromatography systems, considered by most biotech companies and academic research labs to be the gold standard for protein purification, which are used in the biochemistry teaching laboratory. The protein isolation and purification process enables scientists to study specific proteins and protein complexes to advance our understanding of biochemical and cellular processes. The purification and characterization of proteins are central to biological and biomedical research, pharmaceutical development, diagnostics and various industrial processes.

Mastering the ÄKTA system and other analytical instrumentation provides a strong set of skills and knowledge that gives COLSA students a competitive advantage when furthering their careers in an academic setting or in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields.