Society for Biological Engineering (SBE) Supplement
Based in part on the Technology Challenges and Opportunities in Commercializing Industrial Biotechnology Workshop held in Sept. 2015
1. Introduction: Outlook for industrial biotechnology, with an emphasis on trends, challenges, opportunities, lessons learned, etc. This article covers:
• process design (think full-scale from the start)
• techno-economic analysis (build and use models to guide RD&D)
• process scaling (get to scale as soon as possible, but with an integrated rigorous approach)
• strain development (exponential growth in biology is transforming the field)
• global perspectives (gain advantages through partnerships across the value chain)
2. Use Cost Models to Guide Research and Development for Microbial Industrial Biotechnology
Cost models can provide a common framework to facilitate communication, accelerate development, maximize efficient use of resources, and avoid costly missteps. This article summarizes general recommendations for developing cost models of the production process and using them to guide the R&D and scale-up efforts. It also gives examples that demonstrate how the author's company has applied cost models to its R&D decision-making.
3. Bioprocessing by the Numbers
This is an infographic-based snapshot of two types of biomass processing projects:
• processes that are fed raw biomass and produce one or more chemical products
• processes with biomass-derived feeds that make one or more chemical products