Since the inception of affinity chromatography 50 years ago (Cuatrecasas et al, 1968),
traditional purification techniques based on pH, ionic strength, or temperature have been
replaced by this sophisticated approach. It has been stated that over 60% of all purification
techniques involve affinity chromatography (Lowe, 1996). The wide applicability of this
method is based on the fact that any given biomolecule that one wishes to purify usually has
an inherent recognition site through which it can be bound by a natural or artificial
molecule. Thus, we can say that affinity chromatography is principally based on the
molecular recognition of a target molecule by a molecule bound to a column