Simplex optimization in biochemistry: application of the method in two-phase partition.

Partition in aqueous two-phase systems should have great potentialities for studies of biological material. However, the general use of the method has probably been hindered by the difficulties in finding the composition of two-phase systems with desired qualities. Experimental design has proved to be of immense value for optimization in many different areas and should also be useful in selecting the best possible two-phase system. Therefore the simplex method has been applied to the search for the composition of an aqueous two-phase system in which the partition behavior of filamentous actin and human spectrin differ as much as possible.