NFOK24000U Bioprocess Engineering

Volume 2024/2025
Education

MSc Programme in Biosolutions

Content

This course will provide an engineering understanding of processes in biobased production. Students will get an understanding of key unit operations for typical industrial applications within the biosolutions arena. Likewise, what is the role of microorganisms and/or enzymes in selected bioprocesses and the industrial applications. Furthermore, the course deals with equipment applied in the biosolutions as well as introduces developments, optimization, e.g. digitalisation and improvement of environmental impact. 

 

The topics will include:

Production systems with an emphasis on an engineering understanding of fermentation based processes: 

  • Including flow diagrams
  • principles of key unit operations
  • mass and energy balances
  • Elements in biological production
  • Examples of interactions of key microorganisms and processes conditions, e.g. effect of mixing on growth
  • Examples of enzymes and the relevant chemistry and kinetics.
Learning Outcome

The course aims at introducing students to the process for biological production systems and ways to optimize production.

Knowledge of:

  • The major factors in biosolutions and relevant manufacturing processes.
  • Identify and critically examine the principle(s) underpinning unit operations for the production of selected biosolutions products.
  • The raw materials and circularity
  • Sustainability of different processes

 

Skills, ability to:

  • Reflect and critically examine the effect of various unit operations on biosolutions production.
  • Reflect and critically examine how processing conditions can be controlled in order to produce stable products
  • Apply obtained knowledge to practicals and analyses of results.
  • Perform analyses in a laboratory (incl. basic safety skills)

 

Competences, ability to:

  • Evaluate how the technology behind manufacture affects final product quality.
  • Evaluate the contribution of different unit operations to product properties, and the value of different product streams in production of selected products.
  • Work effectively in a group for both theoretical and practical assignments.

The curriculum will include lecture notes and scientific papers in addition to parts of textbooks, e.g. Biochemical Engineering Fundamentals, by J.E Bailey and D. F. Ollis. The details of the curriculum and text book will be available at Absalon.

Lectures,theoretical and laboratory exercises and workshops.
Theoretical concepts, theories and methods for analyses are introduced in the lectures and applied in both theoretical and practical, laboratory exercises. The theoretical exercises will focus on process and enzyme kinetics, whereas the practical exercises will focus on practical aspects of production systems.
There will be a written report for the laboratory exercises and the workshops. There will be guest lectures from relevant industries.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 30
  • Preparation
  • 77
  • Theory exercises
  • 30
  • Practical exercises
  • 8
  • Project work
  • 60
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral exam on basis of previous submission, 20 minutes (no preparation)
Type of assessment details
The individual examination comprises two parts:
1. Examination in the report (40% of grade).
2. Examination in the general curriculum (60% of grade).

Both parts must be passed in order for the student to pass the course, and it is not possible to participate in the exam if the report has not been submitted.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

Same as the ordinary exam.

If the report was not submitted during the course, it must be submitted at least two weeks before the date of the re-examination. A failed report has to be edited and re-submitted at least two weeks before the date of the re-examination.

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning Outcome