Biochemical Engineering (PTT 203/3)

This is a well-rounded handbook of fermentation and biochemical engineering presenting techniques for the commercial production of chemicals and pharmaceuticals via fermentation. Emphasis is given to unit operations fermentation, separation, purification, and recovery. Principles, process design, and equipment are detailed. Environment aspects are covered. The practical aspects of development, design, and operation are stressed. Theory is included to provide the necessary insight for a particular operation. Problems addressed are the collection of pilot data, choice of scale-up parameters, selection of the right piece of equipment, pinpointing of likely trouble spots, and methods of troubleshooting. The text, written from a practical and operating viewpoint, will assist development, design, engineering and production personnel in the fermentation industry. Contributors were selected based on their industrial background and orientation. The book is illustrated with numerous figures, photographs and schematic diagrams.

Biochemical engineering is the application of engineering principles to conceive, design, develop, operate, and/or use processes and products based on biological and biochemical phenomena. Biochemical engineering influences a broad range of industries, including health care, agriculture, food, enzymes, chemicals, waste treatment, and energy, among others. Historically, biochemical engineering has been distinguished from biomedical engineering by its emphasis on biochemistry and microbiology and by the lack of a health care focus. This is no longer the case. There is increasing participation of biochemical engineers in the direct development of pharmaceuticals and other therapeutic products. Biochemical engineering has been central to the development of the biotechnology industry, given the need to generate prospective products on scales sufficient for testing, regulatory evaluation, and subsequent sale. This book begins with a review of biodiesel processing technology, the use of varied biodiesel in diesel engines and an analysis of economic scale and ecological impact of biodiesel fuel. Other areas of research include the application of biochemical engineering in the fishery industry, algae growth, and waste water management.

The present text is a complete revision of the 2nd edition from 2003 of the book with the same title. In recognition of the fast pace at which biotechnology is moving we have rewritten several chapters to include new scientific progress in the field from 2000 to 2010. More important we have changed the focus of the book to support its use, not only in universities, but also as a guide to design new processes and equipment in the bio-industry. A new chapter has been included on the prospects of the bio-refinery to replace many of the oil- and gas based processes for production of especially bulk chemicals. This chapter also serves to make students in Chemical Engineering and in the Bio-Sciences enthusiastic about the whole research field. As in previous editions we hope that the book can be used as textbook for classes, even at the undergraduate level, where chemical engineering students come to work side by side with students from biochemistry and microbiology. To help the chemical engineering students Chapter 1 includes a brief review of the most important parts of microbial metabolism. In our opinion this review is sufficient to understand microbial physiology at a sufficiently high level to profit from the rest of the book. Likewise the bio-students will not be overwhelmed by mathematics, but since the objective of the book is to teach quantitative process analysis and process design at a hands-on level some mathematics and model analysis is needed. We hope that the about 100 detailed examples and text notes, together with many instructive problems will be sufficient to illustrate how model analysis is used, also in Bio-reaction Engineering.

Today, ergot alkaloids have found widespread clinical use and more than 50 formulations contain natural or semisynthetic ergot alkaloids. They are used in the treatment of uterine atonia, postpartum bleeding, migraine, orthostatic circulatory disturbances, senile cerebral insufficiency, hypertension, hyp- prolactinemia, acromegaly, and Parkinsonism. Recently, new therapeutic - plications have emerged, e.g., against schizophrenia and for therapeutic usage based on newly discovered antibacterial and cytostatic effects,immunomodu- tory and hypolipemic activity.The broad physiological effects of ergot alkaloids are based mostly on their interactions with neurotransmitter receptors on the cells. The presence of "hidden structures'' resembling some important neu- humoral mediators (e.g., noradrenaline, serotonin, dopamine) in the molecules of ergot alkaloids could explain their interactions with these receptors [1]. Ergot alkaloids are produced by the filamentous fungi of the genus, Claviceps (e.g., Claviceps purpurea - Ergot, Mutterkorn). On the industrial scale these alkaloids were produced mostly by parasitic cultivation (field production of the ergot) till the end of the 1970s. Today this uneconomic method has been - placed by submerged fermentation. Even after a century of research on ergot alkaloids the search still continues for new, more potent and more selective ergot alkaloid derivatives.