Patent ID: 8192971

Claim:
A method for separating a substance from a fluid, comprising the step of: placing the fluid in contact with a composite material that displays a specific interaction for the substance, wherein the composite material comprises: (a) a support member comprising a plurality of pores extending through the support member; and (b) a non-self supporting macroporous cross-linked gel comprising macropores having an average size of 10 nm to 3000 nm, said macroporous gel being located in the pores of the support member; wherein said macroporous cross-linked gel is present in the pores of the support member in an amount sufficient such that, in use, liquid passing through the composite material passes through said macropores of said macroporous cross-linked gel; said macropores of said macroporous cross-linked gel are smaller than said pores of said support member; said macroporous cross-linked gel is a gel bearing a plurality of functional groups; said functional groups are metal affinity ligands; a plurality of metal ions are complexed to said metal-affinity ligands; and the substance is selected from the group consisting of an albumin, lysozyme, a γ-globulin, an immunoglobulin, a protein, a polypeptide, interleukin-2 and its receptor, an enzyme, a monoclonal antibody, trypsin and its inhibitor, cytochrome C, myoglobin, recombinant human interleukin, and a recombinant fusion protein; thereby adsorbing or absorbing the substance to the composite material.