Bioreactors
Code: 101022 ECTS Credits: 3| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Microbiology | OB | 3 |
Contact
- Name:
- Javier Garcia Ortega
- Email:
- xavier.garcia@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
No specific requirements are defined for this course
Objectives and Contextualisation
- Knowledge acquisition about relevant aspects related to microbial bioindustrial processes, such as mass balances, bioreactor design and its proper utilization, depending on its specific application.
- Learning about the main bioreactor types, their basic features and their main applications, for both enzymatic and microorganism based processes.
- To study the required elements to design and operate a bioreactor, such as conventional kinetic equations and deign equations, the interaction between the kinetic law and the operation mode, the mixing and aeration hardware, as well as the instrumentation and basic control elements. To analyze the ideal rector types, and from those to determine the requirements for the utilization of real reactors.
- Introduce the basic concepts of downstream processing and understand the main stages and technologies involved in the separation and purification of microbial products, with a focus on their industrial application.
Learning Outcomes
- CM15 (Competence) Evaluate the role of microorganisms in processes of economic interest as producers of key compounds in the development of our societies and in the improvement of the quality of life.
- CM16 (Competence) Propose microbial processes to assess the environmental impact of human activity, as indicators of ecosystem alteration, as well as to recover contaminated environments.
- KM23 (Knowledge) Identify the operations and production processes involving microorganisms or their components.
- SM22 (Skill) Manage specific bibliography and internet tools to develop an academic work within the field of environmental or industrial microbiology both in English and in one's own language or others.
- SM23 (Skill) Select the appropriate methodologies to characterise populations and communities of microorganisms from environmental and industrial samples and their abiotic environment.
- SM24 (Skill) Analyse industrial operations and processes involving microorganisms or their components in order to contribute to their improvement and guarantee their success.
Content
UNIT 1.- BIOPROCESS ENGINEERING AND MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY.
- The bioreactors in the biotechnological processes.
- Biotechnology, basic definitions
- Microbial biotechnology applicacions
- Productive process and position of bioreactors
- Enzymatic and microbial kinetic models
- Definitions
- Microbial growth stoichiometry
- Celular growth, substrate consumption and product obtention.
- Microbial growth kinetic models
- Effects of the physico-chemical parameters on the enzymatic activities and on the microbial growth
- Mass and energy balances
- Mass and energy conservation principle.
- Mas balances in bioreactors.
UNIT 2.- IDEAL BIOREACTORS
- Basic bioreactor design
- Classifying bioreactors
- Ideal bioreactors: continuous and batch operation.
- Fed-batch operation. Systems with recirculation. A series of reactors.
UNIT 3.- REAL BIOREACTORS: OPERATION, INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL OF BIOREACTORS.
- Typical configurations and bioreactor elements.
- Real bioreators: examples
- Non ideal flow
- Advanced Bioreactors
- Aeration
- Oxygen transfer.
- Aeration and its eficiency.
- Determination of the kLa coefficient.
- Mixing
- Fermentation browth reology
- Shear stress effects.
- Mixers.
- Mixing and aeration.
- Bioreactor scale-up
- Control and instrumentation:
- Definitions
- Needs and incentives
- Elements of a control system
- Implementation of a control system: pH control, temperature control and dissolved oxygen
UNIT 4.– SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION PROCESSES
- Introduction and key concepts in downstream processing
- Objectives of downstream processing
- Requirements of the downstream depending on product type
- Purification train strategy: how to combine steps to optimize it
- Main stages and equipment in microbial bioprocess downstream
- Clarification
- Concentration
- Purification
- Drying
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures | 20 | 0.8 | CM15, CM16, KM23, SM23, SM24, CM15 |
| Workshops | 1 | 0.04 | CM16, KM23, SM22, CM16 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Team working | 10 | 0.4 | CM16, KM23, SM22, CM16 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Study | 38 | 1.52 | CM15, KM23, SM23, SM24, CM15 |
LECTURES (20h): lectures will introduce the basic concepts of the course contents. If possible interactive audiovisual material to assist concept understanding.
WORKSHOPS (3h):From the beginning of the course, students will be organized into working groups that, throughout the semester, will carry out an in-depth study of an industrial microbial bioprocess of their choice. This project will allow students to apply the knowledge acquired in the course to a real and specific case.
- The last two sessions of the course —with mandatory attendance— will be dedicated to oral presentations of the projects to the rest of the class. Each group will present the bioprocess they have studied, giving all students the opportunity to learn about various industrial microbial bioprocesses explained by their peers.
- These seminars are part of an innovative project-based and flipped classroom learning methodology, aiming to foster teamwork, analytical and synthesis skills, as well as students’ communication and critical thinking abilities.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partial test 1 (EP1, Units 1 and 2) | 45% | 2 | 0.08 | CM15, CM16, KM23, SM23, SM24 |
| Partial Test 2 (EP2, Units 3 i 4 ) | 45% | 2 | 0.08 | CM15, CM16, KM23, SM23, SM24 |
| Workshop about industrail microbial bioprocesses | 10% | 2 | 0.08 | CM15, CM16, KM23, SM22, SM23, SM24 |
A) Continuous assessment
- To pass the course, students must obtain a final grade equal to or higher than 5/10, based on the average of the three assessment components described below.
- The main assessment component consists of two individual written exams (referred to as Midterm Exam 1 – EP1 – and Midterm Exam 2 – EP2 – in the course calendar), which will combine open-ended questions with the application of concepts to practical cases.
- Each exam will account for 45% of the final grade.
- To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum grade of 3.5 in both exams.
- These exams are resit-eligible.
The seminar on industrial microbial bioprocesses accounts for 10% of the final grade, based on the oral presentation and submission of the materials on the day of the presentation.
- Attendance on the day of the presentations is mandatory.
- This is a non-recoverable activity.
Students will receive a "Not assessable" (NA) grade if the total weight of the evaluation activities they completed is less than 67% of the final grade.
B) Reassessment
Students who do not pass the course (either for not reaching the minimum final grade of 5 or for obtaining less than 3.5 in one of the midterm exams) may take a resit exam for only one of the failed partial exams — never both.
- If both EP1 and EP2 grades are below 3.5, the coursewill be automatically failed, as both exams cannot be retaken.
- The resit exam will only cover the part of the syllabus not passed in the original assessment (EP1 or EP2).
- Students who have passed the course but wish to improve their grade in one of the two midterms may also take this resit exam. In such cases, the final grade will be the one obtained in the resit.
Students who, for justified reasons (as defined by faculty and university regulations), were unable to take EP1 or EP2 on the scheduled date will be allowed to take the corresponding resit exam on the official resit date in the calendar.
C) Review of grades
For each assessment activity, a time, date, and location will be announced for grade review, during which the student may go over the activity with the instructor.
During this session, grade-related complaints may be submitted and will be evaluated by the course instructor.
Students who do not attend the review session will not be entitled to request a later review.
D) Final grades
Honours Distinction (MH): Awarding an honours distinction is at the discretion of the course instructor. According to UAB regulations, honours may only be granted to students who have obtained a final grade equal to or greater than 9.00. Up to 5% of enrolled students may be awarded this distinction.
Students who take the resit exam (partially or fully) cannot be awarded Honours.
A student will be considered Not Assessable (NA) if they do not complete assessment activities representing at least two-thirds of the total course grade.
E) Student misconduct: copying and plagiarism
Without prejudice to any other disciplinary measures that may be taken, any irregularities by the student that could affect the outcome of an assessment activity will result in a grade of zero.
Therefore, plagiarism, copying, cheating, or allowing others to copy in any assessment activity will result in a failing grade of zero.
Such activities will not be eligible for reassessment.
If passing the affected activity is required to pass the course, the course will be automatically failed, with no recovery option during the academic year.
F) Single assessment
This course/module does not include the option for single (final-only) assessment.
Bibliography
Doran, P.M. Principios de Ingeniería de los Bioprocesos. Acribia. (1998) [https://www-sciencedirect-com.are.uab.cat/science/book/9780122208515]
Bailey, J.E., Ollis, D.F. Biochemical Engineering Fundamentals. McGraw Hill. (1986)
Blanch, H.W., Clark, D.S. Biochemical Engineering. Marcel Dekker. (1997)
Gòdia, F., López, J. Ingeniería Bioquímica. Síntesis. Madrid. (1998)
Kosaric, N., Pieper, H.J., Senn, T., Vardar-Sukan, F., “The Biotechnology of Ethanol”, Wiley (2001)
Levenspiel, O. “Ingeniería de las reacciones químicas”, Wiley (2004)
Ollero de Castro, P.; Fernández Camacho, E. "Control e instrumentación de procesos químicos". Editorial Síntesis. (1997)
Vogel, H.C., Todaro, C.L. “Fermentation And Biochemical Engineering Handbook”, Noyes Publications (1997)
Software
During lectures as well as for the proposed tasks the use of EXCEL is widespread.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 731 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 73 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |