What Is Analytical Ultracentrifugation?
AUC measures macromolecular movement under centrifugal force in free solution — determining mass, size, shape, and interactions from first principles without calibration standards. SV-AUC drives molecules toward the cell bottom at 40,000–60,000 RPM; the moving boundary — tracked by UV, interference, or fluorescence optics — yields a continuous c(s) distribution that resolves monomers through aggregates. SE-AUC establishes a reversible sedimentation–diffusion equilibrium at lower speed; the steady-state gradient directly yields molecular weight, stoichiometry, and KD from thermodynamic fundamentals — no kinetic fitting, no surface artifacts.
AUC is the reference method against which other aggregation techniques are validated. Unlike SEC-MALS — where dilution and column interaction can dissociate aggregates — SV-AUC reports the true mass fraction of each species directly in formulation buffer. For AAV, SV-AUC is the FDA-recommended method for empty/full capsid ratio. For interactions, SE-AUC measures affinity at true thermodynamic equilibrium in free solution — no surfaces, no labels, no kinetic assumptions.
What Questions Does AUC Answer?
- Is my 150 mg/mL mAb formulation truly aggregate-free? — SV-AUC with interference optics measures aggregation directly in undiluted formulation — no dilution, no column interaction, no artifacts.
- What is the empty/full/partial capsid ratio of my AAV batch? — Multi-wavelength SV-AUC resolves empty (~65S), partial (~80–90S), and full (~100S) AAV capsids — the only method that provides baseline resolution without reference standards.
- What is the KD and stoichiometry of this reversible protein–protein interaction? — SE-AUC measures binding affinity at true thermodynamic equilibrium in free solution — no SPR chip, no ITC cell, no labels.
- Does SEC overestimate my sample purity? — SV-AUC frequently detects aggregates that SEC misses due to column dilution and filtration — the gold standard for orthogonal purity verification.
- How do mutations or formulation conditions affect self-association? — Concentration-dependent SV-AUC quantifies B22 and kD — predicting high-concentration behavior from dilute-solution measurements.
If your protein characterization or interaction data must withstand regulatory scrutiny — or if SEC, DLS, and SPR have given you conflicting or incomplete results — AUC provides the definitive, first-principles measurement.
Why AUC for Protein Characterization & Interaction Analysis?
First-Principles Measurement — No Standards, No Labels, No Surfaces
AUC calculates mass, size, and stoichiometry from fundamental physical constants — not calibration curves. No fluorescent labels, no SPR chips, no SEC columns — the sample is measured directly in free solution. For regulatory submissions where orthogonal methods must agree, AUC provides the independent, first-principles reference that SEC, DLS, and SEC-MALS are validated against.
True Aggregation State — No Dilution, No Column Interaction
SV-AUC measures aggregation directly in formulation buffer — the sample is loaded as-is, undiluted. For >100 mg/mL mAb formulations, interference optics bypass the concentration limits of UV detection. SEC dilution can dissociate reversible aggregates, making a formulation appear cleaner than it is — SV-AUC reveals the aggregation state that actually exists in the vial or pre-filled syringe.
AAV Empty/Full Resolution — The Regulatory Gold Standard
Multi-wavelength SV-AUC (260/280 nm) is the only method that simultaneously quantifies empty, partial, and full AAV capsids with baseline resolution. a 2024 multi-lab validation (Hirohata et al., Human Gene Therapy) demonstrated RSD for major species and validated the method for IND-enabling characterization. For AAV-specific protocols, our dedicated AUC for AAV Characterization service.
Reversible Interaction KD and Stoichiometry at True Equilibrium
SE-AUC measures KD directly from the equilibrium concentration gradient in free solution — no surface, no kinetic fitting. The sample reaches true thermodynamic equilibrium under centrifugal force; the steady-state gradient is governed solely by mass and solution properties. No SPR chip, no mass transport limitation. SE-AUC detects interactions from mM to pM KD and resolves 1:1, 2:1, and higher-order stoichiometries that single-technique SPR or ITC cannot distinguish.