Separa on and formula on
An overview of downstream processing technology
Luuk van der Wielen, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences
What is downstream processing (DSP)?
Separa ng the valuable product from the complex
fermenta on broth, ensuring it has the right purity
and concentra on, and packaging it for the market.
3
Balancing OPEX and CAPEX
$
Margin
Taxes & legisla on
CAPEX OPEX
Revenues
downstream downstream
costs
CAPEX OPEX
fermenta on fermenta on
CAPEX
OPEX
upstream
upstream
output
Design recipe
out in
rate equilibrium
in out
mass balance
Volume versus costs
Fermenta on DSP Fermenta on
DSP
5% 60 80%
Comparing costs
Comparing volumes
Mixed proper es: Penicillin G.
side chain
(to be recycled)
ß lactam nucleus
(target product)
O
NH C
C2H
apolar: methyl groups
CH3 S
CH3
N
O
apolar: aroma c ring
-
COO
polar: pep de bond
polar: carboxyl group
(pKa ~ 2.7)
instable: 4 and 5 ring
Process order and
Criteria
" yield and selec vity
quality
" capacity
A auxiliary
" rate
materials
" energy consump on
" waste genera on
P product
F raw
" robustness, safety
materials
" economic feasibility
" ......
W waste
Op miza on depends on interplay of
all unit opera ons!
unit opera on
See you next unit!