Short Programs

Downstream Processing [20.45s]

Date: July 26-30, 2010 | Tuition: $3,950 | Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 2.7

Overview  |  Learning Objectives  |  Who Should Attend  |  Course Format  |  Outline of the Course  |  Course Schedule  |  Staff  |  About the Course Director  |  Updates

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Overview

Continuing discoveries in molecular biology and genetics provide the foundation for new and improved processes and products in today's biochemical process industry. The production of therapeutic proteins, which is made possible by new discoveries in biotechnology, generated sales exceeding $30 billion in 2004. In addition, biotechnology has led to marked improvement and expansion in the traditional biochemical process industry for production of enzymes, diagnostics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and foods. Continued introduction of new technology necessitates innovation in process development scale-up and design. As a consequence, there is the need to design new, as well as to improve, existing processes. An integral and cost intensive part of these processes is associated with downstream processing for product isolation and purification.

Learning Objectives

• Define the fundamentals of downstream processing for biochemical product recovery.
• Assess the impact of change in one unit's operations on others in the process.
• Examine traditional unit operations, as well as new concepts and emerging technology that is likely to benefit biochemical product recovery in the future.
• Analyze both analytical and process validation issues that are critical to successful manufacturing, focusing on large-scale, high-purity protein production.
• Describe biochemical product recovery, including small molecule purification.
• Examine strategies for biochemical process synthesis.
• Address centrifugation, cell disruption, chromatography, crystallization, filtration, liquid-liquid extraction, membrane processes, process economics, process synthesis and simulation, protein refolding, and regulatory issues and validation.

Who Should Attend

The course covers fundamental principles of downstream processing with practical examples and case studies to illustrate the problems and solutions faced by the practitioner. It is intended to provide both insight into and an overview of downstream processing for individuals actively engaged in process research and development, as well as those who manage and innovate in the biochemical process industry. Increasingly, scientists and engineers engaged in fermentation and cell culture development attend the course to better understand the context of the whole process. Attendees include:

• Engineers and scientists interested in design, economics, validation optimization and scale-up of biochemical product recovery;
• Protein biochemists and chemists involved in design of recovery processes;
• Managers responsible for biochemical process development;
• Entrepreneurs, attorneys, and business leaders wanting an overview and insight into biochemical manufacturing.

Course Format

The course faculty have worked together for over twenty years teaching this course. The format includes a series of lectures on individual topics and case study as well as small workshop/discussion groups on specific topics including: chromatography, membrane processes, process synthesis, and process economics. Time is provided for group interaction with the faculty and other attendees.

The lectures begin promptly at 9:00am Monday. Lectures end at 5:00PM each day except Friday when they finish by 12:00pm. There is a reception for all participants on Monday from 6:00pm to 8:00pm and a banquet on Thursday evening from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

Tuition includes both CD-ROM and hard copy versions of the lecture notes. These are made available to participants during the week of class. Participants will also be given a copy of Development of Sustainable Bioprocesses: Modeling and Assesment, published in 2007, co-authored by Professor Cooney, Elmar Heinzle, and Arno P. Biwer.

Outline of the Course

The course begins with an introduction to the recovery problems created by fermentation, cell culture, and enzyme technology. Subsequent topics include:

• Strategies for biochemical process synthesis
• Centrifugation
• Cell disruption
• Chromatography
• Crystallization
• Filtration
• Liquid-liquid extraction
• Membrane processes
• Process economics
• Process synthesis and simulation
• Protein refolding
• Regulatory issues and validation

There are discussions of case studies to illustrate innovations in downstream processing. The class is divided into teams early in the week to work as a team on a project that illustrates the concepts from the lectures.

Course schedule, registration times, special events

Class runs 9:00 am - 5:00 pm every day except Friday when it ends at 12:00 noon.

Registration is on Monday morning from 7:30 - 8:45 am.

Special events include a reception for course participants and faculty on Monday night and a dinner on Thursday evening. All evening activities are included in tuition.

Staff

The program is under the direction of Professor Charles L. Cooney. Lectures will be presented by:

Dr. Stuart E. Builder, Strategic Biodevelopment, Belmont, CA

Dr. Charles L. Cooney, Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at MIT

Dr. Brian D. Kelley, Senior Director, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA

Dr. Daniel I.C. Wang, Institute Professor of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT

Dr. Inger Mollerup, Vice President, Novo Nordisk, Denmark

Mr. Jean-Francois Hamel, MIT, runs the teams projects

About the Course Director

Charles L. Cooney
Charles L. Cooney is Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty Director of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, and Co-Director of the Program on the Pharmaceutical Industry at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966, his Master's degree and PhD degree in Biochemical Engineering from MIT in 1967 and 1970, respectively. After working briefly at the Squibb Institute for Medical Research, he joined the faculty of MIT as an Assistant Professor in 1970, and has been a full Professor since 1982. He has received the 1989 Gold Medal of the Institute of Biotechnological Studies (London), the Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the James Van Lanen Distinguished Service Award from the American Chemical Society's Division of Microbial and Biochemical Technology and was elected to the American Institute of Medical and Biochemical Engineers. He serves as a consultant to and/or director of a number of Biotech and Pharmaceutical companies and is on several boards of professional journals.