Economic Process Evaluation and Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment of Bio-Aromatics Production.

The bio-based production of aromatics is experiencing a renaissance with systems and synthetic biology approaches promising to deliver bio-catalysts that will reach yields, rates, and titers comparable to already existing bulk bio-processes for the production of amino acids for instance. However, aromatic building blocks derived from petrochemical routes have a huge economic advantage, they are cheap, and very cheap in fact. In this article, we are trying to shed light on an important aspect of biocatalyst development that is frequently overlooked when working on strain development: economic and environmental impact of the production process. We estimate the production cost and environmental impact of a microbial fermentation process depending on culture pH, carbon source and process scale. As a model molecule we use para-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA), but the results are readily transferrable to other shikimate derived aromatics with similar carbon yields and production rates.

Biopharmaceutical Process Optimization with Simulation and Scheduling Tools.

Design and assessment activities associated with a biopharmaceutical process are performed at different levels of detail, based on the stage of development that the product is in. Preliminary "back-of-the envelope" assessments are performed early in the development lifecycle, whereas detailed design and evaluation are performed prior to the construction of a new facility. Both the preliminary and detailed design of integrated biopharmaceutical processes can be greatly assisted by the use of process simulators, discrete event simulators or finite capacity scheduling tools. This report describes the use of such tools for bioprocess development, design, and manufacturing. The report is divided into three sections. Section One provides introductory information and explains the purpose of bioprocess simulation. Section Two focuses on the detailed modeling of a single batch bioprocess that represents the manufacturing of a therapeutic monoclonal antibody (MAb). This type of analysis is typically performed by engineers engaged in the development and optimization of such processes. Section Three focuses on production planning and scheduling models for multiproduct plants.