Bioprocess Development and Scale-up (DEB)

DEB (Bioprocess Development and Scale-up) is a unique facility dedicated to the development of bioprocess technologies, with a focus on sustainability and industrial application. It allows everything from bench-scale experiments to scaling up in an industrially relevant environment, equipped with bioreactors ranging from 60 mL to 350 L, chemical reactors, solid-liquid separation systems, biomass pretreatment equipment, and sensors for process monitoring.

One of the main focuses of DEB is fermentation processes, which include precision fermentations — aimed at the production of proteins, enzymes, organic acids, and other bioproducts. Development can be carried out in isolation or in an integrated manner for both the bioconversion (e.g., propagation, fermentation, enzymatic reactions) and downstream (e.g., cell separation, purification, concentration, and drying) stages, adapting according to the product of interest, which can be biofuels, biochemicals, proteins, and polysaccharides, among others. DEB’s infrastructure also allows the development of physical-chemical and biochemical processes, such as biomass pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and technical-economic and sustainability assessment, with generation of critical data and kinetic modeling.

Equipment available to users

• bench-scale bioreactors ranging from 0.4 to 3.6 L for processes employing fungi, yeast, or bacteria or “cell-free” enzymatic hydrolysis
• pilot bioreactors (20 to 300 L) for processes using fungi, yeasts or bacteria
• pilot bioreactors (300 L) for processes with high solid/liquid ratio (e.g., enzymatic hydrolysis)
• bench-scale reactors (500 mL to 7 L) for chemical processes
• pilot reactors (20 to 350 L) for physical-chemical processes
• solid-liquid separation equipment
• downstream equipment
• biomass conditioning equipment, such as dry cleaning systems, biomass grinders and shredders.

Start of operation: in 2023 the Bioprocess Development and Scale-up facility was created through the merger of the Pilot Plant (2013) and Bioprocesses (2012) facilities

Submission and usage period