Zurich / New Orleans, March 2018. Prof. Massimo Morbidelli, co-founder of ChromaCon and professor at ETH Zurich, has been honored with the 2018 ACS Award in Separations Science and Technology from the American Chemical Society. This prestigious international award recognizes his pioneering contributions to modern separation science, in particular to continuous biomanufacturing and advanced chromatography process technologies.
Prof. Massimo Morbidelli Recognized for Innovation in Separation Science
The ACS Award in Separations Science and Technology distinguishes outstanding achievements in the development and industrial implementation of separation processes. Prof. Morbidelli has significantly advanced the field with his research on continuous chromatography and integrated downstream processing, helping the biopharmaceutical industry move from traditional batch operations to more efficient, connected manufacturing platforms.
His work has enabled new ways of designing and operating chromatographic processes, delivering higher productivity and improved use of expensive resins and solvents. By translating fundamental research into industrially relevant technologies, Prof. Morbidelli has helped shape how next-generation biopharmaceutical processes are developed and scaled.
From Academic Research to Industrial Biomanufacturing
Many of the innovations originating from Prof. Morbidelli’s laboratory at ETH Zurich, including the Multicolumn Countercurrent Solvent Gradient Purification (MCSGP) technology and CaptureSMB, are now commercialized by ChromaCon and its scale-up partner LEWA. These technologies are designed to make downstream purification more productive, more sustainable, and more economical for both development laboratories and large-scale manufacturing facilities.
By combining multi-column operation, internal recycling of impure fractions, and optimized solvent gradients, MCSGP and CaptureSMB help users achieve high product purity, high yield, and high throughput at the same time. This makes them particularly attractive for the purification of complex biological molecules such as monoclonal antibodies, peptides, and oligonucleotides, where conventional batch chromatography often reaches its limits.
Driving Down the Cost of Biopharmaceuticals
Continuous and integrated processing concepts developed by Prof. Morbidelli and his team play a key role in reducing the cost of goods for biopharmaceutical production. Higher productivity, better resin utilization, and reduced solvent consumption not only lower manufacturing costs but also support more sustainable, resource-efficient processes. This is increasingly important as the demand for biologics and advanced therapies continues to grow worldwide.
By enabling more efficient downstream processing, ChromaCon’s technologies help biopharmaceutical companies and contract manufacturers bring innovative therapies to patients faster, at a lower cost, and with robust, scalable processes.
About the ACS Award in Separations Science and Technology
The ACS Award in Separations Science and Technology is presented annually by the American Chemical Society to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the theory, design, or application of separation methods. Special emphasis is placed on work that translates scientific innovation into practical industrial solutions across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemicals, and environmental technology.
Receiving this award underlines Prof. Morbidelli’s impact on both the scientific community and the global bioprocessing industry, highlighting his leadership in bridging the gap between academic research and real-world manufacturing challenges.
Further Information
For more information on MCSGP, CaptureSMB, and other continuous chromatography solutions, please visit the technology section of our website.
Additional details about the ACS Award in Separations Science and Technology can be found on the official ACS awards website.
