Biotechnological processes

The facilities include a central microbiological laboratory, two module-based technical centers of the Biosafety Level 1, one of which can be operated under ATEX conditions.

Cultivation

• Fermentation of various microorganisms: reactor cascade with total volumes of 10, 100, 300, 1000 and 10,000 liters, equipped with four storage tanks each (acid, base, antifoaming agent, nutrition solution) as well as comprehensive automation, measurement and control technology (rotation speed, temperature, head space pressure, pH value, dissolved oxygen, respiration, methanol concentration)
  
• UHT plant for the continuous sterilization of fermentation media
• ATEX fermenter (total volume: 500 L) for conversion or production of highly flammable chemicals
• Continuous process control in fermentations by cell retention (sterilizable crossflow filtration plant with automatic feed level control)
• Online measurement of alcohol concentration in the reactor and of CO₂/O₂ in the fermentation exhaust gas

Enzymatic conversions 

• Reactors for enzyme-catalyzed reactions (500 (mobile), 1300, 2000, 5000 and 10,000 liters, stirred, temperature-controlled)
• Enzymatic hydrolysis / modification of fibers (tank with special stirrer configuration for high viscosities)

Product purifcation and finishing 

• Harvest of the fermentation suspension as well as temporary storage of product solutions using stirred and temperature-controlled tanks (500 (mobile) / 2,000 / 5,000 and 10,000 L)
• Biomass separation (disk separators 0.5 – 2 m³/h, 0.5 – 1 m³/h, vacuum drum cell flter 0.5 m² and fiter press 1.6 m²)
• Cell disruption (homogenizer 0.4 m³/h, 1,000 bar, optional with subsequent flow cooling)
• Membrane filtration (MF/UF) for desalination and product concentration processes; feeding up to 500 kg/h; flexible use of spiral wound modules (material, cut-off)
  
• Fine purification using liquid chromatography (35-liter column volume, flow rate up to 180 L/h) 
• Crystallizers (180 L, 800 L) with downstream vacuum fiter dryer (0.5 m²) in ATEX version 
• Spray (5 kg/h) and freeze drying (0.8 m²) for finishing the products

Analytical equipment

• Laboratories for microbiological tests
  
• Qualitative and quantitative methods to determine the optical density and cell dry mass, the concentration of sugars, alcohols and organic acids, protein analysis
• Various assays for measuring enzyme activity
  
• Online measurement of the alcohol concentration in the reactor and CO₂ / O₂ in the fermentation exhaust gas