NPLK24002U Fermentation at Scale
MSc Programme in Biosolutions
The course will familiarize the students with the general concepts, different types of fermentation and challenges of fermentation at industrial production scale. The teaching will be based on industrial case studies.
The key contents of the course include:
- Principles of the different types of fermentation
- Organism growth requirements/conditions
- Growth and stress physiology and conditions
- Fermentation process monitoring
- Operational hygiene and cycling
- Quality and regulatory compliance specific to fermentation
- By-products and waste streams: opportunities for valorization in industrial symbiosis.
Upon completion of this course, the students will have demonstrated the following knowledge, skills, and competences:
Knowledge:
- Know the principles for the different types of fermentation
- Knowledge of growth and stress physiology of production organisms and the fermentation conditions needed in each case
- Able to understand the different parameters for growth requirements and conditions
- Understand the parameters behind upscaling
Skills:
- Be able to design an optimal setup for fermentation including specifications for monitoring systems in biological production systems
- Ability to design a fermentation strategy for a given product
- Be able to use data to evaluate and optimize production e.g. calculation of mass balance, etc
- Must be able to communicate the set up and design and discuss this with peers
Competences:
- Cultivate strong collaboration abilities
- Be able to recognize the needed data to analyze for optimization of production and upscaling
See Absalon for manuals and course literature, including scientific articles.
It is recommended to have knowledge of production organisms and their use in industry corresponding to the qualifications from the course “Biological Production Hosts: Bench to Pilot Scale”. It is also recommended to have insights into bioprocessing.
• Lectures: Theoretical concepts, theories, and methods for biological processes.
• Industry Visits: Excursions (on site) + visits to see fermentation processes and the equipment.
• Extensive Laboratory Work: Students are introduced to fermentation and which the parameters are needed to design and monitor for growth and upscaling. The students will have to describe the laboratory exercises in reports.
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 16
- Preparation
- 104
- Exercises
- 12
- Excursions
- 8
- Laboratory
- 45
- Project work
- 20
- Exam
- 1
- Total
- 206
There will be oral and written feedback during the course. During the laboratory excersises there will be oral feedback, and there will be written feedback for the reports.
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Oral examination, 20 minutes (no preparation time)
- Type of assessment details
- The individual oral examination consists of examination in the laboratory work and in the curriculum.
- Exam registration requirements
Approval of 2 laboratory reports, one per fermentation exercise.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
- Re-exam
Same as the ordinary exam.
Hand-in of the 2 laboratory reports is a prerequisite. If the requirement is not met, the laboratory reports needs to be handed in 3 weeks before the reexam.
Criteria for exam assesment
In order to obtain a grade of 12, the student should convincingly and accurately demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and competences described under the Learning Outcomes.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- NPLK24002U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 3
- Schedule
- AThe course is taught in Kalundborg
- Course capacity
- 50
The number of places might be reduced if you register in the late-registration period (BSc and MSc) or as a credit or single subject student.
Study board
- Study Board for the Biological Area
Contracting departments
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
- Department of Food Science
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinators
- Kirsten Jørgensen (kij@plen.ku.dk)