AdvancedTopic 94 of 100Materials & Chemical
Biochemical engineering
Fermentation, enzymes and bioreactors make bioproducts.
In depth
Uses living cells or enzymes to produce chemicals, fuels, foods and pharmaceuticals: fermentation kinetics (Monod μ=μ_max S/(K_s+S)), bioreactor design (stirred tank, airlift), sterilisation, aeration, downstream processing (centrifugation, chromatography). Scale-up addresses oxygen transfer and shear.
Key points
- Batch, fed-batch, chemostat
- Product recovery
- GMP
ExampleInsulin is produced in fermenters using engineered microorganisms.
Biochemical engineering uses living cells and enzymes to make products, which is important for medicines, food and biofuels.
What is Biochemical engineering?
Fermentation, enzymes and bioreactors make bioproducts.
Why is it important to understand biochemical engineering?
Biochemical engineering uses living cells and enzymes to make products, which is important for medicines, food and biofuels.
What is a bioreactor?
A vessel that provides controlled conditions for cells or enzymes to grow or react, including temperature, oxygen and pH.
Why is sterility important in fermentation?
Contaminants can outgrow the product organism and reduce yield or make the product unsafe, so processes are kept sterile.
How is Biochemical engineering used in practice?
Typical applications include growing yeast in a fermenter to produce ethanol, producing an enzyme for detergents in a bioreactor and manufacturing a vaccine component with cell culture.
What should I learn before Biochemical engineering?
Study "Process economics" first (topic 93 of 100 in Materials & Chemical). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Biochemical engineering?
Batch, fed-batch, chemostat. Product recovery. GMP.
Can you give an example of Biochemical engineering?
Insulin is produced in fermenters using engineered microorganisms.
What comes after Biochemical engineering?
The next topic is "Petroleum refining", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Biochemical engineering?
It is classed as Advanced in Materials & Chemical (topic 94 of 100). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Materials & Chemical.