Regenerated bacterial cellulose microfluidic column for glycoproteins separation

•A simple strategy to prepare regenerated bacterial cellulose column with concanavalin A lectin immobilized in microfluidic system was applied.•This research represents a significant step to prepare bacterial cellulose as column packing material in microfluidic system.•The microfluidic system presents great potential application in affinity chromatography of glycoproteins analysis. To analysis and separate glycoproteins, a simple strategy to prepare regenerated bacterial cellulose (RBC) column with concanavalin A (Con A) lectin immobilized in microfluidic system was applied. RBC was filled into microchannel to fabricate RBC microcolumn after bacterial cellulose dissolved in NaOH–sulfourea water solution. Lectin Con A was covalently connected onto RBC matrix surface via Schiff-base formation. Lysozyme (non-glycoprotein) and transferrin (glycoprotein) were successfully separated based on their different affinities toward the immobilized Con A. Overall, the RBC microfluidic system presents great potential application in affinity chromatography of glycoproteins analysis, and this research represents a significant step to prepare bacterial cellulose (BC) as column packing material in microfluidic system. What is more, troublesome operations for lectin affinity chromatography were simplified by integrating the microfluidic chip onto a HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) system.