Amicon

Amicon is a brand name historically associated with centrifugal ultrafiltration devices used in biochemical laboratories. These devices are designed to concentrate solutions and perform buffer exchange or desalting by removing solvent and small solutes while retaining larger molecules above a defined molecular weight cutoff (MWCO).

Operation and design

Amicon devices consist of a filter unit with a semipermeable membrane. When spun in a compatible centrifuge, solvent and small solutes pass through the membrane while macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, or enzymes are retained in the retentate. By adjusting spin time and force, users control the level of concentration and the extent of buffer exchange. The choice of membrane material (for example, regenerated cellulose or polyethersulfone) and the MWCO determines what size range of molecules is retained.

Formats and uses

The Amicon line includes various formats and membrane specifications, with common MWCO options spanning from a few kilodaltons to several tens of kilodaltons. These devices are widely used for concentrating protein samples, desalting, buffer exchange, diafiltration, and preparing samples for downstream analyses such as chromatography, spectrophotometry, or electrophoresis. They are compatible with standard benchtop centrifuges and come in multiple hold-up volumes to suit different sample sizes.

History and branding

The Amicon brand originated with Amicon Corporation and over time became associated with MiliporeSigma’s life sciences product lines. In contemporary usage, Amicon ultrafiltration devices are marketed within Merck KGaA’s life science portfolio (under MilliporeSigma in some regions), continuing to serve as common tools for rapid sample preparation and cleanup in molecular biology and biochemistry labs.