Bioprocessing

Bioprocessing

INTRODUCTION

Bioprocess engineering utilizes microbial growth to produce therapeutic agents of biological origin. In the current climate of recombinant (DNA) technology, this often means using host microorganisms as expression vectors for a product, most frequently a protein or peptide. Many of the principles employed in bio-process engineering encompass fundamentals and unit processes described elsewhere in the text. All of the fundamentals apply, namely fluid flow and heat and mass transfer. Therefore, unit processes such as pumping (pumps and pipes), sterilization, filtration, heating, and ventilation have an application in bioprocessing. This section covers topics not dealt with earlier: pharmaceutical water systems, bioreactor design, integration and control systems, and product purification.