DESIGN OF INDUSTRIAL FERMENTATION PROCESS

The fermentation process requires the following:

a) a pure culture of the chosen organism, in sufficient quantity and in the correct physiological state;

b) sterilised, carefully composed medium for growth of the organism;

c) a seed fermenter, a mini-model of production fermenter to develop an inoculum to initiate the process in the main fermenter;

d) a production fermenter, the functional large model; and

e) equipment for i) drawing the culture medium in steady state, ii) cell separation, iii) collection of cell free supernatant, iv) product purification, and v) effluent treatment.

Items a) to c) above constitute the upstream and e) constitutes the downstream, of the fermentation process,

Fermenters/bioreactors are equipped with an aerator to supply oxygen in aerobic processes, a stirrer to keep the concentration of the medium uniform, and a thermostat to regulate temperature, a pH detector and similar control devices.