While bacteria have long been associated with health concerns, can these microorganisms be harnessed to benefit humanity? Bioprocess technology has made this a reality. It harnesses the power of microorganisms to revolutionize industrial production. From pharmaceuticals to food production, this novel technology is reshaping various industries with its ability.
Now, let's get on a journey into the future of sustainable industry, where this radical method makes groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
What is Bioprocess Technology?
Bioprocess technology is a specific process that utilizes complete living cells or their components, such as enzymes, chloroplasts, and bacteria, to obtain the desired products. This process is commonly known as fermentation. It involves the design and development of equipment and processes for the manufacturing of various products from biological materials, including agriculture, food, feed, pharmaceuticals, polymers, nutraceuticals, chemicals, and paper, as well as the treatment of wastewater.
Fermentation technology's versatility and impact across various industries make it a vital tool for the production of a wide array of products. As per the latest report by Extrapolate, the global bioprocess technology market is expected to expand significantly, accruing $39.13 billion in revenue by 2030.
How does Bioprocess Technology Work?
To obtain the desired products, the bioprocess encompasses various stages. Here is a brief overview of how bioprocess technology works:
Step 1: Fermentation
It is a key component of bioprocess technology. It involves the cultivation of microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeast. This process is essential for the production of a wide range of products, including organic acids, alcohols, and bioactive proteins.
Step 2: Purification
After fermentation, the next step involves the purification of the product to achieve the desired quality. This involves downstream and upstream processing of the bioprocess. This ensures the growth and productivity of the desired cells.
Step 3: Bioprocess Engineering
Bioprocess engineering plays a crucial role in optimizing the environment or system in which the organism resides to ensure it can produce the needed product at the required scale, quality, and cost.
Step 4: Product Recovery
Once the desired density of cells is achieved, they are harvested and moved to the downstream section of the bioprocess for product recovery. This stage involves the extraction and purification of the desired product to ensure its quality and efficacy.
Major Applications of Bioprocess Technology
Fermentation technology finds diverse applications across various industries. Below are some key applications:
-
Biopharmaceuticals
The bioprocess technology is often used in the production of biopharmaceuticals, including vaccines, antibiotics, and novel drugs. It plays a crucial role in developing and organizing manufacturing processes for these products while ensuring their safety, efficacy, and stability.
-
Food and Beverage
Food and bioprocess technology are linked to each other. The technology is widely used in the production of food ingredients such as oligosaccharides (OS), including galactooligosaccharides and fructooligosaccharides. These OS have promising uses in the food industry due to their health benefits, such as prebiotic functions.
-
Biotechnology
The technology is the main element of the biotechnology industry, translating scientific innovations into industrial products. It is essential for developing transformed microorganisms and new biocatalysts and understanding the interactions of proteins with their environments. This information helps with the production of new molecules or existing bioproducts.
-
Environment and Energy
The technology also finds applications in the environmental and energy sectors. It contributes to the development of biological manufacturing systems and the creation of adaptable computer applications for tracking biological processes like environmental health.
Latest Advances in Bioprocess Technology
Following are some recent inventions in the bioprocess field:
-
Enzymatic Bioprocess Technology
This field has witnessed notable progress, leading to the development of more efficient and sustainable enzymatic processes for various applications. It is widely used in biofuel and bioproduct production from agro-food waste and food fermentation with starter cultures.
According to studies by the National Institute of Health, biofuels are a renewable energy source and can be produced using microbial enzymes from biomass. Metagenomic technology and advanced omics methods identify new enzymes. Genetically modified microorganisms using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing can produce large biofuel amounts. Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering techniques in microbial cells contribute to the overproduction of biofuels for long-term energy conversion sustainability.
-
Bioenergy from Lignocellulose Materials
Advancements in the bioprocess field have led to the development of efficient methods for producing bioenergy from lignocellulose materials.
This includes plant-based materials derived from bioenergy crops, virgin biomass, residues, and other byproducts from agricultural production.
In this field, Mendel Biotechnology Inc. conducted field trials of PowerCane Miscanthus with BP Biofuels for potential feedstock for cellulosic ethanol demonstration plants. Similarly, the Brazil-EU Cooperation for Advanced Lignocellulosic Biofuels (BECOOL) aims to develop new gasification and fermentation pathways for advanced biofuel production from conventional and new lignocellulosic crops.
Can Bioprocess Technology Be Used for Space Exploration?
Space biotechnology is a new field that aims to apply modern biology tools to advance goals in space exploration. This includes exploiting high-throughput techniques for amplifying and sequencing DNA, measuring RNA transcripts, proteins, and metabolites in a cell, and developing instruments for omics research in space, particularly on board the International Space Station and small aircraft and satellites.
Space biology research by NASA aims to understand how spaceflight affects living systems in spacecraft and ground-based experiments, preparing for future human exploration missions. It examines how plants, microbes, and animals adapt to space, including metabolism, growth, stress response, physiology, and development. The program focuses on discovering how biological systems respond, acclimate, and adapt, developing integrated physiological models, identifying underlying mechanisms, promoting open science, developing cutting-edge biological technologies, and enabling knowledge transfer to Earth's understanding.
Wrapping Up
Bioprocess technology stands at the forefront of innovation, driving sustainable solutions and advancements across multiple industries. From bioenergy production to microbial biomanufacturing, the continuous evolution of the bioprocess field has paved the way for efficient and eco-friendly processes. With ongoing research and development, this technology holds the promise of addressing global challenges and shaping a more sustainable future. As it continues to expand its capabilities and applications, the impact of the bioprocess field is poised to be felt across diverse sectors, further solidifying its pivotal role in shaping the world of tomorrow.
