Fermentation scale-up process

What is the role of scale up in industrial biotechnology?

Scaling-up a process allows the implementation of the microorganism and developed fermentation process in increasing fermentation volumes. Technologies developed at bench, lab or pilot scale might fail to perform at a relevant, industrial scale. Performing a scale-up turns a lab-developed fermentation process into a proven viable and industrially reliable process.

By closely monitoring the parameters during the fermentation scale-up process, we capture and validate the coupled microorganism and process at pre-industrial scale, to produce the broth, the microorganism, or the molecule of interest.

Adapting processes to the industrial fermentation constraints

Industrial projects shall meet multiple requirements to ensure they are robust, reliable, and economically viable. In order to adapt the process book developed in the lab, we support you across the phases of your project to implement it in increasing scales of fermentation, and to gradually adapt it to higher scales’ constraints. Through our diverse set of lab, pilot and industrial scale facilities and our technical expertise in fermentation, we combine skills and capacities to meet your project needs.

To guarantee a smooth journey to industrial scale, we gather data generated at each step and perform the necessary adjustments at all stages of the fermentation scale-up process – e.g., agitation and aeration to have the best oxygen diffusion. Thus, we help you in achieving minimum failure rate at industrial scale, to sustain the proper running of your production process.

Making processes economically viable at commercial scale

Adapting fermentation process book to industrial raw materials

Lab or pilot scale processes often use mediums that are not suitable for larger-scale productions. When moving to industrial scale, it is important to switch to mediums of industrial composition and that are available at the plant, to ensure an economically feasible and viable production.

Adjusting fermentation parameters to industrial constraints

Processes at lab and industrial scales are fundamentally different, as they do not answer to the same specificities and constraints – e.g., different flows at each scale. Monitoring fermentation parameters at each superior scale of fermentation, and realizing any necessary adjustment is essential to ensure a fail-free industrial process.

Production
of sample

When performing tests on larger scales, we are producing the broth, microorganism, or molecule of interest in larger volumes. When the process and quality requirements are met, we support you in demonstrating the industrial relevance of your production process by delivering high quality samples for further evaluation, developments, and testing.