Streamlining bioproduct processing

Biomanufacturing involves converting biological resources into products like biopharmaceuticals, enzymes, biofuels and vaccines. A critical and expensive step is recovering highly pure samples efficiently from the biological source.

The EU-funded INTENSO project was set up to identify bottlenecks in these downstream processing methods, and to find solutions applicable to a wide range of products. Researchers are concentrating on bioproducts that form part of most industrial research and development pipelines in order to reduce inefficiencies and costs.

They placed emphasis on protein purification from cell or fermentation cultures, developing techniques to separate or capture desired proteins from other cell components. These techniques are economical, can be scaled up and may be applied to several fields, including the recovery of biopharmaceuticals, environmental remediation and enzyme purification.

Another focus point is the capture of large molecules such as virus particles. These have traditionally been hard to purify, but INTENSO researchers are investigating two potential methods.

The first involves separating molecules based on size using porous rod structures known as monolithic columns. The second, earmarked for vaccine production, makes use of disposable cartridges to which large molecules are adsorbed directly from crude extracts.

For these technologies to have a sustainable effect on all forms of biotechnology, the INTENSO team will factor in economic, environmental and social impacts. They will consider legal constraints, government policies, operating costs and profitability, as well as the effects on the environment and the technology's end users.