Conclusion
There is an increased demand for techniques capable of producing quality products at a decreased cost. This is especially true for biopharmaceuticals produced using gram-negative bacteria, where endotoxin contamination is a concern. Animal-based endotoxin etection techniques will become obsolete in favor of electronic biosensors or fluorescence-based techniques. Developing endotoxin removal methods that are both effective and cost efficient is an ongoing challenge due to the high purity required and the potential interactions present between endotoxins and target molecules. Affinity and mixed-mode chromatography are the most promising methods for a widely applicable removal methods due to the highly selective interactions between endotoxins and the chosen ligand. Additional research is still required to further develop additional methods for removal and ligands that demonstrate a high affinity to endotoxins with a low toxicity and cost. These innovations will allow for an increase in product quality and yield with a decrease in manufacturing cost.