
Bioprocess Engineering
Graduation Level Topics
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1. Batch Fermentation of Yeast for Ethanol Production
Protocols involve inoculating Saccharomyces cerevisiae in glucose medium and monitoring ethanol yield. Commonly demonstrated in Indian biotech colleges.
2. Fed-Batch Fermentation in Bioreactors
Students perform controlled feeding of glucose to maintain productivity. Widely applied in Indian enzyme and antibiotic industries.
3. Sterilization of Bioprocess Equipment
Protocols involve autoclaving, steam-in-place, and dry heat sterilization. Practical training ensures aseptic conditions in labs.
4. Measurement of Biomass Concentration
Protocols involve dry cell weight measurement and optical density calibration. Basic experiment in fermentation labs.
5. Production of Citric Acid Using Aspergillus niger
Protocols involve submerged fermentation in glucose-rich medium. India uses this process in food and beverage industries.
6. Downstream Processing – Cell Harvesting by Centrifugation
Protocols involve centrifugation of microbial broth and pellet recovery. A core step in industrial bioprocessing.
7. Enzyme Production from Fungal Cultures
Protocols involve culturing Aspergillus for amylase production and activity assay. Applied in Indian food industries.
8. Scale-Up Studies Using Shake Flasks and Bioreactors
Protocols involve moving from small-scale flask to pilot-scale bioreactor. Students learn process optimization.
9. Dissolved Oxygen Monitoring in Fermenters
Protocols involve using DO probes and oxygen transfer rate calculations. Critical in aerobic fermentation.
10. pH Control in Bioprocess Systems
Protocols involve automatic titration with acid/base solutions. Applied in Indian industrial fermentations.
11. Immobilized Enzyme Technology (Beads Demonstration)
Protocols involve entrapping enzymes in alginate beads and testing reusability. Widely taught in Indian bioprocess courses.
12. Lactic Acid Production by Lactic Acid Bacteria
Protocols involve fermentation of whey or molasses. Indian dairy industries use this for value addition.
13. Oxygen Uptake Rate Measurement
Protocols involve respirometry studies. Students learn how microbes utilize oxygen in fermentations.
14. Solid-State Fermentation for Enzyme Production
Protocols involve using wheat bran for cellulase or protease production. India applies SSF in agro-industrial byproduct utilization.
15. Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) Operation
Protocols involve inoculation, steady-state maintenance, and productivity analysis. Introduces continuous culture systems.
16. Beer Brewing in Laboratory Scale
Protocols involve mashing, fermentation, and clarification. Demonstrated in food biotech courses.
17. Extraction of Secondary Metabolites from Plant Cell Cultures
Protocols involve solvent extraction from suspension cultures. Applied in Indian herbal industries.
18. Biogas Production from Cattle Waste
Protocols involve anaerobic digestion, gas collection, and methane analysis. Demonstrated in rural Indian biotech projects.
19. Foam Control in Bioreactors
Protocols involve use of antifoam agents and mechanical foam breakers. Students learn industrial process control.
20. Downstream Protein Purification by Ultrafiltration
Protocols involve membrane separation of proteins from broth. Widely used in enzyme industries.
21. Immobilized Microbial Cell Systems
Protocols involve using beads for continuous fermentation. Students learn process intensification basics.
22. Production of Gluconic Acid by Fermentation
Protocols involve glucose oxidation by Aspergillus niger. India uses this in food and pharma additives.
23. Temperature Control in Bioreactors
Protocols involve PID controllers and heat exchangers. Students study process automation.
24. Biosensors in Fermentation Monitoring
Protocols involve glucose biosensor demonstration. Introduces bioinstrumentation.
25. Alcohol Fermentation Kinetics
Protocols involve growth curve plotting and ethanol yield analysis. A standard exercise in process engineering.
26. Production of Antibiotics Using Streptomyces
Protocols involve submerged fermentation of Streptomyces spp. India produces penicillin and streptomycin at scale.
27. Use of Molasses as Fermentation Substrate
Protocols involve optimizing sugarcane molasses for ethanol. Widely adopted in Indian distilleries.
28. Bioreactor Aeration Systems
Protocols involve sparger design, air flow measurement, and kLa determination. Students study oxygen transfer.
29. Batch Kinetics Modeling
Protocols involve Monod model fitting for microbial growth data. Students connect theory to practice.
30. Cheese Production Using Immobilized Rennet
Protocols involve immobilization of enzymes for continuous dairy processing. Indian dairy labs demonstrate this.
31. Scale-Down Simulation of Industrial Fermentations
Protocols involve running lab-scale models of industrial reactors. Students mimic real bioprocessing challenges.
32. Downstream Separation by Precipitation
Protocols involve ammonium sulfate precipitation of proteins. Introduces purification basics.
33. Fermentation Media Optimization Using RSM (Introductory)
Protocols involve factorial design to improve yields. Applied in Indian academic labs.
34. Cell Disruption by Mechanical Methods
Protocols involve bead milling demonstration for protein extraction.
35. Measurement of Specific Growth Rate in Microbes
Protocols involve plotting log-phase growth and calculating μmax.
36. Biosurfactant Production by Microbial Fermentation
Protocols involve Pseudomonas fermentation and surface tension measurement.
37. Microbial Production of Pigments (Carotenoids)
Protocols involve cultivating Rhodotorula yeast. Indian industries apply this for food colorants.
38. Recovery of Intracellular Enzymes
Protocols involve sonication and centrifugation. Students learn enzyme recovery methods.
39. Continuous Biogas Plant Design (Mini Model)
Protocols involve setting up small digesters for hands-on training.
40. Laboratory Scale Chromatography for Protein Purification
Protocols involve ion exchange and gel filtration. Students learn key downstream skills.
41. Biomass-to-Energy Conversion Studies
Protocols involve lignocellulosic hydrolysis and fermentation.
42. Simulation of Fermentation Using MATLAB (Introductory)
Protocols involve kinetic modeling of microbial growth.
43. Bioprocess Instrument Calibration
Protocols involve pH, DO, and temperature sensor calibration.
44. Continuous Ethanol Fermentation Using Immobilized Cells
Protocols involve calcium alginate beads with yeast.
45. Production of Enzymes from Agro-Wastes
Protocols involve utilizing rice bran and wheat husk.
46. Stirred Tank vs. Airlift Bioreactor Comparison
Protocols involve growth curve studies in two reactor types.
47. Yogurt Production Using Starter Cultures
Protocols involve fermentation of milk with Lactobacillus.
48. Oxygen Transfer Rate Calculation (kLa Experiment)
Protocols involve sodium sulfite method in bioreactors.
49. Scale-Up Challenges in Industrial Bioprocessing
Protocols involve agitation, aeration, and shear force analysis.
50. Demonstration of GMP and GLP Practices in Bioprocess Labs
Protocols involve documentation and standard operating procedures.
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Post-Graduation Level Topics
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1. Continuous Biomanufacturing of Therapeutic Proteins
Protocols involve perfusion bioreactors with cell retention systems, enabling constant harvest of monoclonal antibodies. Indian pharma companies are piloting this for low-cost biologics.
2. Metabolic Engineering of Yeast for Bioethanol Production
Protocols involve CRISPR editing to enhance xylose utilization. India applies this for lignocellulosic ethanol from crop residues.
3. High Cell Density Fermentation of E. coli
Protocols include fed-batch feeding strategies and DO-stat control. Widely used in recombinant protein production.
4. Process Analytical Technology (PAT) in Bioprocessing
Protocols involve online monitoring of glucose, lactate, and metabolites using biosensors. Adopted in Indian biologics manufacturing.
5. Production of Recombinant Insulin in Pichia pastoris
Protocols involve methanol-induced expression and downstream purification. This process is used by Indian biotech firms.
6. Bioreactor Design for Stem Cell Expansion
Protocols include low-shear spinner flasks and microcarrier-based systems. Applied in India’s regenerative medicine industry.
7. Production of Biosimilars Using CHO Cell Cultures
Protocols involve media optimization, clone selection, and purification pipelines. India is a global leader in biosimilars.
8. Lignocellulosic Biorefinery for Second-Generation Ethanol
Protocols involve pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation. India’s oil companies invest in 2G ethanol plants.
9. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in Bioreactor Design
Protocols involve simulating mixing and mass transfer using ANSYS Fluent. Indian institutes apply CFD for scaling up fermentations.
10. Nanoparticle-Assisted Bioprocess Intensification
Protocols involve nanomaterials for enzyme immobilization and higher yield. Indian labs study nanobiocatalysts for greener processes.
11. Microbial Electrosynthesis for Biofuels
Protocols involve coupling microbes with electrodes for COâ‚‚ reduction. A futuristic approach explored in Indian renewable energy programs.
12. Continuous Perfusion Systems in Vaccine Manufacturing
Protocols involve high-density cell culture in hollow fiber reactors. Globally applied in influenza and COVID-19 vaccine production.
13. Process Optimization Using Artificial Intelligence
Protocols involve training ML models on process parameters to predict yield. Indian biotech startups are adopting AI-driven optimization.
14. Bioreactor Scale-Up Challenges in Shear-Sensitive Cells
Protocols include impeller design modifications to minimize damage. Applied in mammalian cell culture processes.
15. Enzyme Engineering for Industrial Biocatalysis
Protocols involve directed evolution and computational redesign. Indian companies use engineered lipases and cellulases.
16. Bioprocess Intensification Using Membrane Bioreactors
Protocols include integrating fermentation with in-situ product recovery. Used in Indian pharma fermentation industries.
17. Production of Monoclonal Antibodies via Hybridoma Bioreactors
Protocols involve hollow fiber systems for antibody yield. India scales this for therapeutic antibody development.
18. Immobilization of Enzymes for Continuous Biocatalysis
Protocols include covalent binding of enzymes on silica supports. Used in Indian industries for food and detergents.
19. Biopolymers Production from Microbes
Protocols involve fermentation for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production. India explores this as a biodegradable plastic alternative.
20. Scale-Up of Anaerobic Bioreactors for Biogas Plants
Protocols involve slurry mixing, temperature regulation, and methane analysis. Applied in Indian rural renewable energy initiatives.
21. High-Throughput Bioprocess Screening Using Microfluidics
Protocols involve droplet-based microreactors for screening microbial strains. A global frontier for miniaturized bioprocessing.
22. Protein Refolding in Bioprocessing of Inclusion Bodies
Protocols involve solubilization of aggregated proteins and gradual refolding. Used in recombinant protein recovery.
23. Bioprocess Control Using Internet of Things (IoT)
Protocols involve real-time sensor integration and cloud data analytics. Indian smart labs deploy IoT in fermentation monitoring.
24. Anaerobic Digestion for Waste-to-Energy Conversion
Protocols involve mixed microbial consortia for municipal solid waste. Applied in Indian smart city projects.
25. Downstream Chromatography Automation
Protocols involve resin selection, gradient elution, and robotics. Indian biotech industry upgrades to automated DSP systems.
26. Co-Culture Bioprocessing for Higher Yields
Protocols involve simultaneous fermentation using complementary microbes. Applied in antibiotic and vitamin production.
27. Bioprocess Economics and Techno-Economic Analysis
Protocols involve cost modeling, energy balance, and yield evaluation. Used in Indian biorefinery feasibility studies.
28. Recombinant Vaccine Production Using Baculovirus System
Protocols involve insect cell culture and viral infection. Applied for veterinary vaccines in India.
29. Production of Algal Biofuels in Photobioreactors
Protocols involve COâ‚‚ sparging, light optimization, and lipid extraction. India pilots algal biofuel projects.
30. Industrial Wastewater Treatment Using Bioreactors
Protocols involve aerobic/anaerobic microbial consortia in treatment plants. Widely deployed in Indian industries.
31. Cell-Free Bioprocessing Systems
Protocols involve enzyme cascades without living cells. A frontier technology for rapid biomanufacturing.
32. Process Modeling of Fermentation Kinetics
Protocols involve Monod and Luedeking-Piret equations with MATLAB simulations. Used in scaling up processes.
33. In-Situ Product Recovery Techniques
Protocols involve reactive extraction, pervaporation, and adsorption during fermentation. Applied in organic acid production.
34. Biosensor-Based Monitoring of Metabolites
Protocols involve amperometric glucose and lactate biosensors. Applied in mammalian cell culture monitoring.
35. Bioprocess Engineering of Human Stem Cells for Therapy
Protocols involve 3D bioreactors, hypoxic culture, and growth factor supplementation. India explores this in regenerative medicine.
36. Genome-Scale Metabolic Modeling for Process Optimization
Protocols involve constraint-based flux balance analysis. Indian labs apply this to E. coli and yeast systems.
37. Valorization of Agro-Industrial Waste into Biochemicals
Protocols involve fermentation of rice husk, sugarcane bagasse, and whey. India applies this in circular bioeconomy models.
38. Molecular Dynamics for Protein-Drug Interaction Studies
Protocols involve computational simulations integrated with bioprocess data. Supports rational enzyme design.
39. Continuous Downstream Purification in Bioprocessing
Protocols involve simulated moving bed chromatography. Global companies adopt this for insulin and antibody purification.
40. Bioreactor Design for Shear-Sensitive Marine Microalgae
Protocols involve airlift bioreactors with low shear. India applies this for omega-3 fatty acid production.
41. AI-Driven Digital Twins for Bioprocess Plants
Protocols involve real-time simulation of plant operation using machine learning. A futuristic trend in Indian biotech industries.
42. Adaptive Control Strategies in Bioprocessing
Protocols involve model predictive control and fuzzy logic algorithms. Applied in modern fermentation systems.
43. Recombinant Enzyme Production Using CRISPR-Based Strain Engineering
Protocols involve multiplex editing of microbial hosts. Applied in Indian enzyme industries.
44. Continuous Flow Biocatalysis in Microreactors
Protocols involve immobilized enzymes in flow channels. Emerging as efficient green chemistry.
45. Synthetic Biology in Bioprocess Engineering
Protocols involve pathway design in microbes for novel bio-based products. Indian labs apply this to nutraceutical production.
46. Production of Therapeutic Proteins in Transgenic Plants
Protocols involve agroinfiltration and plant tissue bioreactors. Applied in India for vaccine development.
47. Integration of Renewable Energy with Bioprocess Plants
Protocols involve solar/biogas hybrid energy for fermentation operations. Piloted in Indian bioenergy projects.
48. Real-Time Metabolomics for Bioprocess Monitoring
Protocols involve LC-MS-based online metabolite profiling. Applied in Indian precision fermentation programs.
49. CRISPR-Based Bioprocess Optimization of Industrial Microbes
Protocols involve fine-tuning metabolic fluxes for higher yield. Applied globally in yeast and E. coli engineering.
50. Bioinformatics Integration in Bioprocess Engineering
Protocols involve coupling omics datasets with process parameters. India applies this for predictive fermentation models.
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