Simulation for Bioprocess Engineering (ERT 323/2)

Bioprocess engineering has played a key role in biotechnology, contributing towards bringing the exciting new discoveries of molecular and cellular biology into the applied sphere, and in maintaining established processes, some centuries-old, efficient and essential for today's industry. Novel developments and new application areas of biotechnology, along with increasing constraints in costs, product quality, regulatory and environmental considerations, have placed the biochemical engineer at the forefront of new challenges. This second volume of Advances in Bioprocess Engineering reflects precisely the multidisciplinary nature of the field, where new and traditional areas of application are nurtured by a better understanding of fundamental phenomena and by the utilization of novel techniques and methodologies. The chapters in this book were written by the invited speakers to the 2nd International Symposium on Bioprocess Engineering, Mazatlan, Mexico, September 1997

The emergence and refinement of techniques in molecular biology has changed our perceptions of medicine, agriculture and environmental management. Scientific breakthroughs in gene expression, protein engineering and cell fusion are being translated by a strengthening biotechnology industry into revolutionary new products and services. Many a student has been enticed by the promise of biotechnology and the excitement of being near the cutting edge of scientific advancement. However, graduates trained in molecular biology and cell manipulation soon realise that these techniques are only part of the picture. Reaping the full benefits of biotechnology requires manufacturing capability involving the large-scale processing of biological material. Increasingly, biotechnologists are being employed by companies to work in co-operation with chemical engineers to achieve pragmatic commercial goals. For many years aspects of biochemistry and molecular genetics have been included in chemical engineering curricula, yet there has been little attempt until recently to teach aspects of engineering applicable to process design to biotechnologists.
This textbook is the first to present the principles of bioprocess engineering in a way that is accessible to biological scientists. Other texts on bioprocess engineering currently available assume that the reader already has engineering training. On the other hand, chemical engineering textbooks do not consider examples from bioprocessing, and are written almost exclusively with the petroleum and chemical industries in mind. This publication explains process analysis from an engineering point of view, but refers exclusively to the treatment of biological systems. Over 170 problems and worked examples encompass a wide range of applications, including recombinant cells, plant and animal cell cultures, immobilised catalysts as well as traditional fermentation systems.