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Desalting Spin Columns and Products |
Zeba desalting columns and plates size-exclusion chromatography products are used in research applications that involve the separation of proteins, and other macromolecules from soluble low molecular weight substances (e.g., salts) that may adversely impact the stability of the analytes or interfere with downstream applications. Zeba desalting products are also used in protein buffer exchange to more appropriate buffers before subsequent applications such as western blotting, immunoprecipitation, activity assays, and mass spectrometry.
Desalting format selection guide
| Format |  Desalting Spin Columns |  Desalting Spin Plates |  Desalting Chromatography Cartridges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sample volume range | 2 μL–10 mL | 20–100 μL | 15–250 μL |
| Resin bed volume | 75 μL–20 mL | 550 μL | 1 mL–5 mL |
| Resin molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) | 7 kDa, 40 kDa | 7 kDa, 40 kDa | 7 kDa |
| Automation-compatible? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Products | 7K 40K | 2 96-well filter plates 4 96-well filter plates | 1 column x 5 mL 5 columns x 1 mL |
Thermo Scientific Zeba Spin Desalting Columns are made of low protein-binding polypropylene and are compatible with a wide range of standard laboratory instruments and consumables.
Our Zeba columns are designed for use with most swinging-bucket or fixed-angle bench- or floor-model centrifuges (please verify head clearance before use) and are available in six volume capacities and two molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs), 7K and 40K.
The MWCO should be lower than the molecular weight of the target molecule to help ensure it is retained while contaminants are reduced. Columns with 7K help provide finer resolution for smaller molecules, useful for purifying smaller proteins (e.g., cytochrome c) or peptides (e.g., insulin). Columns with 40K are better suited for large proteins (e.g., BSA), protein complexes (e.g., hemoglobin) and large enzymes (e.g,. pyruvate kinase).
Size exclusion desalting spin column with 7K MWCO selection guide
 |  |  | |  |  | |
| Sample volume | 2–12 µL | 30–130 µL | 200–700 µL | 500–2,000 µL | 700–4,000 µL | 4,000–10,000 µL |
| Resin bed volume | 75 μL | 0.5 mL | 2 mL | 5 mL | 10 mL | 20 mL |
| Product type | Micro Spin Column | 0.5 mL Spin Column | 2 mL Spin Column | 5 mL Spin Column | 10 mL Spin Column | 20 mL Spin Column |
Size exclusion desalting spin column with 40K MWCO selection guide
| | | | | | |
| Sample volume | 5–14 µL | 70–200 µL | 200–900 µL | 300–2,000 µL | 1000–4,000 µL | 4,000–10,000 µL |
| Resin bed volume | 75 μL | 0.5 mL | 2 mL | 5 mL | 10 mL | 20 mL |
| Product type | Micro Spin Column | 0.5 mL Spin Column | 2 mL Spin Column | 5 mL Spin Column | 10 mL Spin Column | 20 mL Spin Column |
Additional products used to efficiently wash away contaminants and elute your purified sample:
- Pierce Micro-Spin Columns—400 μL column volume for 5–100 μL protein purification
- Pierce Spin Columns – Screw Cap—900 μL column volume for 20–400 μL protein purification
- Pierce Spin Columns – Snap Cap—1 mL column volume ideal for 20–500 μL protein purification
Spin desalting plates and cartridges for high throughput and automation
 | |  | | |
| MWCO | 7K | 40K | 7K | 7K |
| Sample volume | 20–100 µL | 20–100 µL | 50–250 µL | 100–1,500 µL |
| Resin bed volume | N/A | N/A | 1 mL | 5 mL |
| Product type | 96-well filter plates | 96-well filter plates | 1 mL Desalting Cartridges | 5 mL Desalting Cartridges |
Thermo Scientific Zeba Spin Desalting Columns are made of low protein-binding polypropylene and are compatible with a wide range of standard laboratory instruments and consumables.
Our Zeba columns are designed for use with most swinging-bucket or fixed-angle bench- or floor-model centrifuges (please verify head clearance before use) and are available in six volume capacities and two molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs), 7K and 40K.
The MWCO should be lower than the molecular weight of the target molecule to help ensure it is retained while contaminants are reduced. Columns with 7K help provide finer resolution for smaller molecules, useful for purifying smaller proteins (e.g., cytochrome c) or peptides (e.g., insulin). Columns with 40K are better suited for large proteins (e.g., BSA), protein complexes (e.g., hemoglobin) and large enzymes (e.g,. pyruvate kinase).
Size exclusion desalting spin column with 7K MWCO selection guide
| | | | | | |
| Sample volume | 2–12 µL | 30–130 µL | 200–700 µL | 500–2,000 µL | 700–4,000 µL | 4,000–10,000 µL |
| Resin bed volume | 75 μL | 0.5 mL | 2 mL | 5 mL | 10 mL | 20 mL |
| Product type | Micro Spin Column | 0.5 mL Spin Column | 2 mL Spin Column | 5 mL Spin Column | 10 mL Spin Column | 20 mL Spin Column |
Size exclusion desalting spin column with 40K MWCO selection guide
| | | | | | |
| Sample volume | 5–14 µL | 70–200 µL | 200–900 µL | 300–2,000 µL | 1000–4,000 µL | 4,000–10,000 µL |
| Resin bed volume | 75 μL | 0.5 mL | 2 mL | 5 mL | 10 mL | 20 mL |
| Product type | Micro Spin Column | 0.5 mL Spin Column | 2 mL Spin Column | 5 mL Spin Column | 10 mL Spin Column | 20 mL Spin Column |
Additional products used to efficiently wash away contaminants and elute your purified sample:
- Pierce Micro-Spin Columns—400 μL column volume for 5–100 μL protein purification
- Pierce Spin Columns – Screw Cap—900 μL column volume for 20–400 μL protein purification
- Pierce Spin Columns – Snap Cap—1 mL column volume ideal for 20–500 μL protein purification
Spin desalting plates and cartridges for high throughput and automation
| | | | |
| MWCO | 7K | 40K | 7K | 7K |
| Sample volume | 20–100 µL | 20–100 µL | 50–250 µL | 100–1,500 µL |
| Resin bed volume | N/A | N/A | 1 mL | 5 mL |
| Product type | 96-well filter plates | 96-well filter plates | 1 mL Desalting Cartridges | 5 mL Desalting Cartridges |
Zeba desalting column product performance
Zeba Spin Desalting Columns are designed to provide exceptional desalting and buffer exchange capabilities for quality results in your protein purification workflows. These columns utilize a resin technology that allows for efficient separation of salts and small molecules from proteins, offering high recovery rates and fast processing times. With their user-friendly spin format, Zeba columns facilitate quick and convenient sample processing while maintaining protein integrity and activity. Explore our performance data below.
Volume capacity
Zeba Spin Desalting Columns are available in a variety of sizes and volume capacities compared to competitor offerings (Figure 1). Zeba columns can also be used with volumes as small as 5 µL (in micro format) to as large as 10 mL.
Click image to enlarge
Figure 1. Comparison of recommended sample volume capacity of common spin desalting products.
Protein recovery
Zeba 40K Spin Desalting Columns contain an enhanced high-performance size-exclusion chromatography resin. These redeveloped Zeba columns demonstrate improved protein recovery for a variety of proteins in the 40 kDa and above molecular weight range (Table 1).
Table 1. Protein recovery comparison using Zeba Protein Desalting Columns with 7K and 40K MWCO resin.
| Recovery* | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | Molecular Size | 7K Zeba Column | 40K Zeba Column |
| Bacitracin | 1.5 kDa | 15% | 12% |
| Aprotinin | 6.5 kDa | 58% | 37% |
| Ubiquitin | 8.5 kDa | 78% | 51% |
| Lactalbumin | 14 kDa | 88% | 64% |
| Trypsin Inhibitor | 21 kDa | 94% | 76% |
| Carbonic Anhydrase | 30 kDa | 90% | 79% |
| Ovalbumin | 42 kDa | 95% | 95% |
| BSA | 67 kDa | 94% | 93% |
| Rabbit IgG | 150 kDa | 92% | 92% |
*Recovery of 100 uL sample volume, with a loaded concentration of 0.5 mg/mL.
Zeba 7K Spin Desalting Columns contain a high-performance size-exclusion chromatography resin that allows for exceptional protein desalting and recovery. When compared to competitors, Zeba 7K desalting columns have excellent protein recovery even at dilute protein concentrations (Figure 2).
Click image to enlarge
Figure 2. Zeba Micro Spin Desalting Columns, 7K MWCO, recovery performance. BSA and ubiquitin samples of varying concentrations were processed using Zeba Micro Spin Desalting Columns, 7K MWCO, alongside comparable competitor products.
Zeba 40K Spin Desalting Columns provide exceptional performance that improves protein recovery compared to competitors (Figure 3). Further, the resin in the Zeba 40K desalting columns allows for higher desalting and is more effective at small protein removal (Figure 4).
Click image to enlarge
Figure 3. Exceptional sample recovery of low protein loads with Zeba 40K spin columns. BSA and IgG of varying concentrations were applied in 50µL aliquots to either 0.5 mL Zeba 40K, competitor C, or Competitor B spin columns. All columns were equilibrated with PBS, then centrifuged per manufacturers’ instructions for each resin. Recovered protein (%) in each flow through sample was determined by BCA assay. Flow through samples were performed on SDS-PAGE and stained with either Coomassie Blue or silver stain. Although 12.5 µg total protein load was recovered efficiently by all three resins, lower recoveries were observed with competitor resins at 1 ug and 250 ng protein loads.
Click image to enlarge
Figure 4. Enhanced Zeba 40K resin is effective at removing small proteins. Purified protein samples (0.5mg/mL) of varying molecular weights were applied individually in 50 µL aliquots in either 0.5 mL Zeba 40K, Competitor C, or Competitor B spin columns equilibrated in PBS. Columns were centrifuged per manufacturers’ instructions for each resin, and the recovered protein (%) in each flow-through sample was determined by BCA protein assay. As opposed to competitor columns, the Zeba 40K resin was more efficient at reducing smaller proteins (evidenced by the lower small protein recovery values).
Desalting resources
Video: Sample desalting using gel filtration chromatography
Watch the video to see how Zeba desalting products work by using gel filtration chromatography.
Video: Zeba Spin Desalting Columns and Plates
Watch the video to learn how to desalt your sample using the Zeba Spin Desalting Columns.
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For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.