Question

What are the 3 key steps in bioprocess?

Answer 1

Bioprocessing:

1. Bioprocessing refers to the process which utilizes living organisms, cells, or components to produce the desired product, such as enzymes, organic acids, antibiotics, vaccines, proteins, etc.
2. The three key steps of bioprocess are upstream processing, fermentation, and downstream processing.

Upstream processing:

1. The upstream process is the initial phase in the bioprocess, starting with early cell separation and cultivation and continuing via cell banking and culture development until the necessary amount is obtained.
2. Upstream processing encompasses all inoculum generation phases, including media preparation, cell culture, and cell separation and harvest.
3. The cells are collected and transported to the downstream portion of the bioprocess after they have attained the necessary density.
4. Upstream biomanufacturing aims to cultivate cells that will generate the desired protein, which will then be refined further during downstream processing processes.

Fermentation:

1. The majority of prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes use anaerobic fermentation as a means of energy production.
2. Glucose is partly oxidized in this process, resulting in acids and alcohol.
3. The pyruvic acid generated by partial oxidation of glucose is transformed into ethanol and carbon dioxide in organisms like yeast (CO₂).
4. Fermentation's primary purpose is to convert NADH, a chemical molecule found in all living cells, back into the coenzyme NAD+, which may then be utilized again.
5. Glycolysis is a process that releases energy by breaking down glucose from enzymes.

Downstream processing:

1. Downstream processing is the recovery and purification of biosynthetic products, particularly medications, from natural sources such as animal or plant tissue or fermentation broth, as well as the recycling of recoverable components and proper waste handling and disposal.
2. Multi-step approaches for recovering and purifying desirable products are used in downstream processing.
3. The most important goal in downstream processing in terms of commercial concerns is to enhance product recovery while minimizing production costs.