B.Tech.

IV (CH), Semester VII

L
T
P
C
ES-1: Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering
3
0
0
3
(Elective Subject from Department)
INTRODUCTION
(06 Hours)
Scope and possibilities; Characteristics and classification of biological matter; Basics of microbial growth;
OVERVIEW OF BIOSEPARATIONS
(02 Hours)
An Overview of bioseparations; Cell disruptions; Genetically modified organism
SEPARATION METHODS
(25 Hours)
Filtration; Centrifugation; Adsorption; Extraction; Membrane separation processes; Concepts of precipitation,
Chromatography Basic concepts; Gel filtration Ion exchange chromatography; Hydrophobic chromatography;
Affinity chromatography; Suitable examples; Electrokinetic methods of separations; Finishing operations and
formulations
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
(12 Hours)
Biomass to Biofuels; Bioremediation; Biocatalysts; Biofouling; Microbial Polymer and plastics; Natural resources
recovery
Total Contact Hours: 45)
BOOKS RECOMMENDED:
1.Shuichi Aiba, Arthur E. Humphrey, Nancy F. Millis, Biochemical Engineering, 2 nd Ed., Academic Press, New
York, 1973.
2. James E. Bailey, David F. Ollis, Biochemical Engineering Fundamentals, 2nd Ed., McGraw hill, 1986.
3. L. Weatherley, Engineering Processes for Bioseparations, Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd., Oxford, 1995.
4. D.L. Pyle, Separation for biotechnology, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 1994
5. A. Scragg, Environmental Biotechnology, 2 nd Ed., Oxford University Press, 2005.

Fundamentals of Biochemical
Engineering
Topics already Discussed
The importance of the need of the day of the
subject
Similarity and difference between the Chemical and
Biochemical Engineering
Advantages of bioprocesses (ambient temperature,
high product specificity, relatively clean technology)
Application areas like Pharmaceuticals, drug
intermediates, food chemicals, beverages, organic
fine chemicals and solvents, industrial enzymes,
dairy products etc.

Characteristics of Bioproducts

Need for Downstream

Processing
Downstream processing (bioseparation)is
essential part of bioprocess Technology
The products are manufactured using a
variety of equipment like Fermenters or
bioreactors, other reactors such as airlift,
membrane and immobilized cell reactors
are also used.
The products formed are usually in low
concentrations and for separation unit
operations are involved

Characteristics of Fermentation Broths

The characteristics of fermentation

broths that influence the downstream
processing of biomolecules include:
The type of microorganisms and their
morphological features (size and shape)
Concentration of cells, products and
byproducts
Physical and rheological characteristics

Morphology of Cells
Cells size ranges from 1
micro m to 4000 micro m
The cells and the cell
agglomerates exhibit a
variety of shapes.
Bacterial and yeast cells
occur mostly as
homogeneously
suspended particles in the
fermentation broth
Fungi form a network of
hyphi thereby increasing
the viscosity of the broth
Figure 1: Morphology of Cell size decreases
Cell
capacity of the separation
process decreases and

Concentration of cells, products and

byproducts
The concentrations of the biomass and that of the products in the
fermentation broth are important in deciding on the choice of the
separation process

Physical and Rheological

Characteristics
The density of the dry biomass would be about 1400
kg/m3; however the density of the fermentation broth
is lower , around 1100 kg/m3 as the cells have a high
water content of about 70-80%.
The rheological property of fermentation broth is of
importance for downstream processing in the case of
centrifugation and membrane separations.
Newtonian and Non-newtonian models can describe
most of the fermentation broths.
The viscosity of the broth is strongly influenced by
the cell concentration as well as cell shape and to a
minor extent by the changes in the concentration of

The stages of
bioseparations
The bioseparation stages are:
1. Product release and pre-treatment: Involves
cell disruption and release of intracellular
products
2. Removal of insoluble's or particulates that is
solid- liquid separation: Filtration or centrifugation
achieves the removal or separation of
particulates
3. Product concentration and recovery: Involves
adsorption, extraction, precipitation or membrane
separation
4.Purification: Involves high resolution techniques
like chromatography and affinity separations
5. Finishing operations and formulations: Includes

The separation Techniques

Typical bioprocesses

Typical bioprocesses

Cell wall of microorganisms

Cell wall
The murein layer is about 10-80 nm thick, made
of petidoglycan exists in one form or other in
almost all the species.
The space below the murien
layer called
periplasmic space, is about 8 nm thick and often
contains enzymes
The inner layer called the plasma or cytoplasmic
membrane is about 8 nm is a double layer made
of phospholipids and some proteins and metal ions
The cell interior, called the cytoplasm, is an
aqueous solution of salts,
amino acids and
biopolymers including proteins, enzymes, RNA and
DNA.
It is necessary to rupture the cell to release the

Cell Disruption
Mechanical
and
Disruptions
Enzymatic
For products
Cells
Ultrasound
methods
in purewaves
of
water
stable
of(double
frequency
of heat
amt).20kHz
, cells ruptures
swells and
the
disrupts
cells
Cells forChemical
disruptions

Bead Mill disruption

Disruption of microbial cell

Bead mill disruption