The Fermentation and Purification Group

The focus in the Fermentation and Purification Group at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark is to conduct teaching and research in two main areas:

• Fermentation technology and
• Downstream processing at lab and pilot scale.

These two areas are inseparably linked, since decisions made ’upstream’ during the fermentation (or even in construction of the microorganisms used) have a direct influence on what needs to be done during purification.

We are particularly interested in new types of bioreactors and unit operations for bioprocessing, such as U-Loop fermenters, rotating jet head fermenters, scaleable biofilm reactors, as well as expanded bed adsorption chromatography and using magnetic particles for a range of bioprocessing tasks.

Magnetic adsorbents possess a unique attractive property that allows them to be manipulated selectively during a bioprocess. This feature can be exploited for purification of proteins, modification of biomolecules and recycling of enzymes.

The group is also interested in the processing of specific food products, in particular beer brewing, where a range of projects are of interest, from studying new unit operations to the details of the fermentation process itself.

The pilot plant houses a range of pilot scale equipment for fermentation and downstream processing as well as a micro-brewery.

See projects from the Fermentation and Purification Group.

Collaboration