- Address
Biocant Park
3060-197Cantanhede
Portugal
Description
Biotrend runs a state of the art facility for the development and optimization of bioprocesses, from strain screening and raw material pre-processing to process integration, scale-up and validation.
Microbial strain screening
Micro-scale multiplexing capability includes culture (in anaerobic, microaerobic and fully aerobic conditions), centrifugal separation, extraction and analysis (UV/Vis spectrophotometer and HPLC).
This high-throughput platform is optimally designed to the screening of biocatalysts and for preliminary assessment of process conditions. Typical screening activities include:
-
Strains producing a specific compound, for example carotenoids (beta-carotene and lycopene), organic acids (succinic, lactic and acetic acid) or others such as ethanol and biosurfactants.
-
Strains able to cope with specific medium requirements, such as strains that grow on agroindustrial residues (ex. lignocellulosic hydrolysates and pulp and paper waste streams) in which the ability to use C5 carbon sources and to resist to the presence of inhibitors (ex. furfural and derivatives, heavy metals) is important.
Process development and optimization
Process development and optimization is performed with our battery of fully controlled bioreactors, connected to data acquisition and control software. Normally fed-batch cultivations aiming at maximizing productivities, yields and concentrations are optimized in 2L (autoclavable) and 10L (sterilized in place) bioreactors. Process integration opportunities with raw material pre-processing and with downstream processing are sought throughout development.
Process scale-up, de-risking and validation
At Biotrend’s facilities, we operate fermenters of 2L, 10L, 50L and 200L working volume allowing for thorough scale-up studies and process de-risking. Downstream processing capabilities include centrifugation (tubular and disk stack), tangential flow filtration, homogenization, freeze drying, spray drying, preparative chromatography, etc.
Further to this, we have direct access to facilities from 1,000L to 200,000L fermentation capacity, through industrial partners. In addition to the technical validation, we provide thorough economic validation studies using in-house databases and tools and industry-standard software (ex. using the SuperPro Designer package).
Biotrend SA
Biotrend SA
Contact Person
Bruno FERREIRA
Equipment
- Multiplexed 1 mL microplate cultivation, interfaced with separation and analyitical equipment.
- Fully controlled bioreactors: 5x 2L, 2x 10L, 2x 50L and 1x 200L.
- Membrane filtration (ultra and microfiltration).
- Centrifugation (tubular and disk-stack).
- High-pressure homogenisation.
- Ion exchange and adsorption.
- Vacuum evaporation (continuous small scale).
- Preparative chromatography.
- Spray-drying.
- Freeze-drying.
- Miscellaneous.
- Overhead stirrers.
- Fume hoods.
- Laminar flow hoods (one moveable).
- Microscope with image acquisition.
- 20ºC and -80ºC freezers.
- UV/VIS Spectrophotometry (cuvette and microplate)
- HPLC (IR and UV, including diode array)
- Off-gas analysis (O2 and CO2).
Drying ovens
Services
Microbial strain screening
Micro-scale multiplexing high-throughput platform to screen biocatalysts and for preliminary assessment of process conditions. Typical screening activities include:
-
Strains producing a specific compound, for example carotenoids (beta-carotene and lycopene), organic acids (succinic, lactic and acetic acid) or others such as ethanol and biosurfactants.
-
Strains able to cope with specific medium requirements, such as strains that grow on agroindustrial residues (ex. lignocellulosic hydrolysates and pulp and paper waste streams) in which the ability to use C5 carbon sources and to resist to the presence of inhibitors (ex. furfural and derivatives, heavy metals) is important.
Process development and optimization
Process development and optimization is performed with our battery of fully controlled bioreactors, connected to data acquisition and control software. Normally fed-batch cultivations aiming at maximizing productivities, yields and concentrations are optimized in 2L (autoclavable) and 10L (sterilized in place) bioreactors. Process integration opportunities with raw material pre-processing and with downstream processing are sought throughout development.
Process scale-up, de-risking and validation
At Biotrend’s facilities, we operate fermenters of 2L, 10L, 50L and 200L working volume allowing for thorough scale-up studies and process de-risking. Downstream processing capabilities include centrifugation (tubular and disk stack), tangential flow filtration, homogenization, freeze drying, spray drying, preparative chromatography, etc.
Further to this, we have direct access to facilities from 1,000L to 200,000L fermentation capacity, through industrial partners. In addition to the technical validation, we provide thorough economic validation studies using in-house databases and tools and industry-standard software (ex. using the SuperPro Designer package).