{"id":12885,"date":"2025-08-04T15:08:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T13:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purpan.fr\/_-_-3\/"},"modified":"2025-10-30T15:34:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T14:34:39","slug":"tfffc-platform","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.purpan.fr\/en\/tfffc-platform\/","title":{"rendered":"TFFFC (Toulouse Field-Flow Fractionation Center) platform"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The TFFFC (Toulouse Field Flow Fractionation Center) platform was created in 2017 at PURPAN Engineering School. This platform, the only one of its kind in Europe<\/strong>, specializes in the use of Field-Flow Fractionation (FFF) techniques<\/strong>. These techniques are extremely useful for characterizing complex samples of various kinds (proteins, polypeptides, nanoparticles, polymers, emulsions, cells, nanovectors, etc.) encountered in many industrial sectors (pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology, agri-food, biotechnology, materials, etc.).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The platform provides industrial and academic partners<\/strong>\u202fwith the opportunity to use the various FFF techniques currently on the market within the framework of collaborative research projects (AF4, Sedimental-FFF, Thermal-FFF, Electrical-AF4) coupled with different types of detectors (UV, RI, MALS, DLS, etc.).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This platform is linked to the Agri-food and Nutrition Sciences Department<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n Summary<\/strong>\n \n
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    Our services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Flux Force Fractionation (FFF) techniques<\/strong>Flux Force Fractionation (FFF) techniques are used to separate and analyze macromolecules<\/strong>. They are similar to liquid chromatography techniques and are distinguished by the absence of a stationary phase in the separation channel, which limits shear effects and sample interactions. This approach enables samples to be characterized non-invasively without denaturation or filtration<\/strong>. It can separate compounds ranging from 1 nm to several microns.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The various FFF separation techniques are based on a common principle: the application of a physical force field perpendicular to the elution flow in the channel, enabling the fractionation and quantification of the analytes. Depending on the type of force field used (cross-flow, centrifugal, thermal or electric), sample populations are separated according to criteria such as size, density, chemical nature or charge.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This separation, combined with the detectors used in our platform, enables in-depth characterization of the samples, providing information on their molecular weight distribution, size, conformation or aggregation state.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Services proposed<\/strong>– Characterization of complex samples such as proteins, polymers, nanovectors, nanoparticles, antibodies, etc.\u00a0– Fractionation of the various compounds in the mixture\u00a0– Characterization of the various fractionated populations: size distribution, molar weight, conformation, aggregation\u00a0– Collection of fractions at the FFF system outlet for further analysis\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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