Bioprocess Development and Scale-up
Focused on sustainability, LNBR has a unique and singular structure that seeks to elucidate fundamental mechanisms, at the atomic and molecular levels, associated with the design of microorganisms and enzymes and the control of these biological systems. In addition, it develops biochemical pathways, including process design, from bench to pilot plant scale-up, culminating in techno-economic and sustainability assessments of biotechnological processes and biobased products. Bioprocess is one of the pillars of biotechnology, since it brings together microorganisms, enzymes and nutrients for the production of bioactive compounds of industrial interest and products of renewable origin. A bioprocess can be characterized by five phases: the preparation of raw materials, their conversion into fermentable sugars, the fermentation process, purification, and the suitability of the higher value-added product for its application. LNBR’s expertise in various types of bioprocesses makes it unique in the handling of microorganisms and enzymatic processes up to pilot scale.
The main features of the Bioprocess Development and Scale-up facility are:
- Handling and conditioning of a wide range of biomasses and pretreatment development, with different equipment and purposes;
- Integration, validation and evaluation of processes involving multiple technologies and different types of equipment in a modular structure;
- Data acquisition and automated process control with analytical capabilities aiming at high quality results;
- Reduction of risks, costs and time in the scale-up of bioprocesses established at laboratory scale (proof of concept).
This facility is unique in Brazil for its flexibility and modularity on a semi-industrial scale. It has automated bioreactors with several sensors for monitoring processes at bench and pilot scale, including processes with genetically modified microorganisms. The infrastructure includes bench-scale chemical reactors (500 mL to 7 L), bench-scale bioreactors (60 mL to 20 L), pilot reactors for physical-chemical processes (20 to 350 L – most of them with corrosion-resistant metal alloys), pilot bioreactors/fermenters (20 to 300 L), solid-liquid separation equipment, downstream equipment, dry cleaning system, defibrators, and biomass grinding.
Start of operation: in 2023 the Bioprocess Development and Scale-up facility was created by merging of the existing Pilot Plant (2013) and Bioprocess (2012) facilities.