790123 Fundamentals of bioprocess engineering

Type
Lecture
Semester hours
4
Lecturer (assistant)
Dürauer, Astrid , Ata, Özge
Organisation
Offered in
Wintersemester 2024/25
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

This course discusses engineering principles involved in production of biomolecules (e.g., antibodies, enzymes, DNA) in living organisms (e.g., bacteria, yeast, tissue cultures). It include the bioprocess and the downstream processing -purification process. Examples will be taken from the following application areas: biopharmaceuticals, biomedical technologies, foods, and environmental processes.
In more detail, the following topics will be addressed:
Introduction and repetition of general aspects of bioprocess engineering and industrial biotechnology
Upstream Processing:
- Basic elements of bioprocesses
- Variables, dimensions, units
- Material and energy balances
- Enzyme kinetics
- Cell growth: kinetics, process models
- Rheology of bio-suspensions (fluid dynamics)
- Transport processes in bio-suspensions (substance, energy)
- Bioreactors, reactor peripherals
- Sterilisation techniques
- Process monitoring and process control

Downstream processing:
- Properties of fermentation broths, concentration, product, biomass viscosity, density and the influence on processing
- Properties of biomolecules and their influence on processing: size, charge, hydrophobicity, diffusion behaviour
- Cell separation: centrifugation, micro filtration,
- Cell disruption
- Filtration / membrane separation process
- Adsorptive purification: chromatography
- Precipitation
- Extraction
Previous knowledge expected

Microbiology, biochemistry, measurement and control technology, energy-impulse-mass transport, thermodynamics, mechanical-thermal process engineering
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

The students have acquired the basics of fermentation technology and downstream processing, as well as the simple model-based quantitative description of included unit operations. They can give an overview of how these methods are applied in industrial practice. They will understand the basic physical relationships of mass, momentum and heat transport in connection with the techniques discussed. The students have knowledge of the biophysical and biochemical properties of biomolecules and the resulting relationships in fermentation and downstream processing. They know how material and energy balances are to be drawn up and have learned the basics such as growth kinetics of microorganisms or process control in technical applications. Furthermore, they are familiar with reactor types, process monitoring and process control. The students know the basic operations of downstream processing such as centrifugation, filtration, precipitation and chromatographic processes. They will have a basic knowledge of modelling and quantitative description of these processes and can carry out calculations for scale transfer and process design of unit operations.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.