Bioreactor systems design for bioprocess innovations

这个正在进行的研究项目培养学生的生物加工技能，这是加拿大工业界和学术界所需要的。这些技能是有效设计和控制生物技术操作所必需的。同时，该研究探索了生产药品和其他生物制品的新方法。在本提案中，我们计划利用我们在发酵系统方面的丰富经验来研究适合于生产模型蛋白质产品（如治疗剂中发现的产品）和酶产品（如用于从纤维素材料中制造糖）的生物加工策略。除了基础知识的创造之外，第一个应用与制药工业有关，第二个应用与基于可再生生物质资源的生物炼制有关。根据我们的建议，在这些应用中，气动搅拌生物反应器装置在节能和污染风险方面比传统的机械搅拌装置具有明显的优势。这些因素在以前的工作中被忽略了。调查方法涉及工程原理的评估，因为它们涉及到气动搅拌“气升”生物反应器系统的潜在改进。面临的挑战是克服高发酵粘度和副产物在系统中形成的不良副作用。将开发气举设备的工程设计指南，将生物处理创新纳入设备改造和新的操作方法。此外，这些准则将使这些系统的扩大程序更加合理。总的来说，这项研究的结果有望在生化工程和工业生物技术的一般领域产生训练有素的HQP和有价值的新知识。

This ongoing research program trains students in bioprocessing skills which are in demand by Canadian industry and academia. These skills are needed for the efficient design and control of biotechnology operations. Concurrently, the research explores new methods for producing pharmaceuticals and other biological products. In this proposal, we plan to use our extensive experience with fermentation systems to investigate bioprocessing strategies appropriate for production of a model protein product, such as found in therapeutic agents, and an enzyme product, such as used to make sugar from cellulosic materials. In addition to basic knowledge creation, the first application is of interest to the pharmaceutical industry and the second one is relevant to biorefineries that operate based on renewable biomass resources. According to our proposition, pneumatically-stirred bioreactor devices have distinct advantages over traditional mechanically-stirred ones for these applications in terms of energy conservation and less risk for contamination. These factors have been overlooked in previous work.The investigative approach involves evaluation of engineering principles as they relate to the potential improvement of pneumatically-stirred "airlift" bioreactor systems. The challenge is to overcome undesirable side effects from high fermentation viscosities and by-product formation in the systems. Engineering design guidelines for airlift devices will be developed, incorporating bioprocessing innovations for equipment retrofits and novel methods of operation. In addition, the guidelines would enable more rational scale-up procedures for these systems. Overall, results of the study are expected to generate well trained HQP and valuable new knowledge in the general areas of biochemical engineering and industrial biotechnology.