Development of SFS Fractionators

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The screening of a complex mixture of analytes is not always successful in sensitive screens for specific activities. Often, specific activities are masked by interfering compounds or false positives are given by ubiquitous compounds that interact with all screens. This problem can be resolved by purification of the analytes. Such an approach is not only cost-prohibitive but will also result in biasing the isolation of analytes tha occur in higher concentrations. Conventional organic solvents are not always ideal for biomass extractions. These solvents can be difficult to remove from the compounds potentially exhibiting bioactivity and, thus can mask bioactivity in an assay. In order to enhance the drug and dietary supplement discovery process, we have developed and patented processes for the polarity-guided fractionation of plants and microbes (Castor et al., 1998, 2003) using supercritical fluid solvents. The overall goal of this research project is to develop a com