Title: Process intensification for the continuous production of alternative proteins
Abstract:
Optimizing equipment utilization in biotechnological manufacturing systems remains a central challenge during the scale-up transition from laboratory to industrial production. Substantial research and development focus on process intensification and transforming batch and fed-batch cultures into continuous bioprocesses with automated process control. At GEA, we have developed a perfusion system that allows for the continuous removal of spent culture medium from a bioreactor-driven cultivation process, enabling increased space-time yield for biomass and extracellular protein production. With separators already
being utilized in large-scale processing of proteins, the perfusion system is a readily scalable alternative to traditional filtration-based perfusion systems. We further explore how enhanced bioreactor process data, integrated with advanced process control strategies and predictive modelling, can improve equipment utilization by aligning scale-up more closely with actual process requirements.
