Micro-fermentation Platform

Tender description

Purchase of a micro-scale parallel automated fermentation platform capable of online monitoring of multiple process parameters. Scientific advances in industrial biotechnology (IB) and bio-based chemicals production have the potential to transform the global industrial landscape revolutionising sustainable manufacturing processes across all industrial sectors, including healthcare, sustainable energy, green chemistry, pharmaceuticals, novel materials and bioremediation. In fact, many of the challenges faced by industry and society (including energy demand and efficiency, replacement of fossil fuels and dealing with pollution, resource efficiency, food security, climate change and energy shortages) can now be tackled by bio-based production technologies. To exploit the potential of IB a thorough understanding of the performance of production strains and scale-up processes is critical. A high-throughput bench top micro-fermentation system is required to provide solutions to a major challenge area of process/clone validation prior to extensive scale up studies. The funding for this purchase is from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) who will pay for this equipment on the basis of a strictly cash limited sum which is also subject to certain time constraints.