Industrial Biochemistry
Code: 100909Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry | OB | 3 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Mohammed Moussaoui Keribii
- Email :
- mohammed.moussaoui@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Jaume Farrés Vicén
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
There are no compulsory prerequisites. However, part of the contents of some 1st year and 2nd year courses are needed to be able to follow the course correctly. In particular, those of the following courses: Biocatalysis, Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Cell Culture.
Objectives
The course aims to integrate the knowledge of biochemistry and molecular biology with those of microbiology and biochemical engineering, with emphasis on their application to the biotechnological processes.
Learning outcomes
- CM27 (Design a basic protocol for processing and purifying a biotechnological product on an industrial scale, as well as strategies for the production and improvement of drugs and food.) Design a basic protocol for processing and purifying a biotechnological product on an industrial scale, as well as strategies for the production and improvement of drugs and food.
- CM28 (Integrate knowledge from biochemistry and molecular biology with that of microbiology and engineering to develop biotechnological processes and products.) Integrate knowledge from biochemistry and molecular biology with that of microbiology and engineering to develop biotechnological processes and products.
- CM29 (Interpret public policies promoting biotechnology, and evaluate the associated ethical, legislative, social and environmental issues.) Interpret public policies promoting biotechnology, and evaluate the associated ethical, legislative, social and environmental issues.
- KM30 (Describe the characteristics and applications of enzymes, immobilized biocatalysts, and biosensors.) Describe the characteristics and applications of enzymes, immobilized biocatalysts, and biosensors.
- KM31 (Identify the elements of a biotechnological process, including the products of interest and their sources, as well as the design, control, and operation of a bioreactor.) Identify the elements of a biotechnological process, including the products of interest and their sources, as well as the design, control, and operation of a bioreactor.
- SM31 (Apply bioinformatics resources to predict cell growth, to obtain kinetic equations, and to design and simulate bioreactors.) Apply bioinformatics resources to predict cell growth, to obtain kinetic equations, and to design and simulate bioreactors.
- SM32 (Develop basic operations and equipment on an industrial scale in the processing and bioseparation of biotechnological products.) Develop basic operations and equipment on an industrial scale in the processing and bioseparation of biotechnological products.
- SM33 (Apply quality assurance and control criteria to the production of biotechnological products.) Apply quality assurance and control criteria to the production of biotechnological products.
Contents
THEORY
PART I. INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction to Biotechnology. History of Biotechnology. Definitions of Biotechnology. Traditional biotechnology and modern biotechnology. Historical milestones. Elements of the biotechnological process: raw materials, biological agents and products.
2. Economic and social importance of biotechnology. Products of industrial interest - Potential of Biotechnology. Examples: food, energy, health - Industrial sectors - Business sectors - Protection of intellectual property - Public R & D programs in biotechnology - Biotechnology: perspectives and questions.
PART II. THE BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS
3. Raw materials. Natural raw materials. Byproducts. Petroleum derivatives. Selection and pretreatment. Examples.
4. Biocatalysis. Biocatalysts - Characteristics of enzymes as biocatalysts - Advantages of using enzymes as biocatalysts - Criteria for the efficiency of enzymes - Strategies for the development of efficient enzymes - Industrial enzymes - Industrial applications of enzymes: food, textiles, paper, detergents, pharmaceutical industry - Disadvantages of using enzymes as biocatalysts.
5. Immobilized biocatalysts (I). Concept, characteristics and industrial utility - Types of immobilization supports - Immobilization methods - Types of bioreactors for immobilized biocatalysts.
6. Immobilized biocatalysts (II). Properties of immobilized enzymes - Substrate specificity - Immobilization effects on enzyme activity and kinetic properties: partition and diffusion rate - Advantages and disadvantages of immobilization of enzymes - Industrial applications of immobilized enzymes - Immobilized cells .
7. Microbial cells (I). Microorganisms of industrial interest - Advantages of microorganisms Elemental composition ofmicroorganisms and culture media - Obtaining, selection and conservation of microorganisms - Collections of type strains.
8. Microbial cells (II). Genetic manipulation and metabolic engineering of microorganisms - Improvement of strains by mutagenesis, gene recombination and recombinant DNA techniques.
9. Fermentations. Concept of fermentation - Operating regimes - Batch, fed-batch, continuous and perfused fermentation - Solid state fermentation- Kinetics of the growth of a discontinuous culture- Kinetic parameters: specific growth rate (μm) and Monod constant (KS), Yield (YX/S), Metabolic quotient (qS) - Factors affecting growth rate - Kinetics of product formation - Primary and secondary metabolism products - Product yield (YP/S).
10. Continuous fermentation. Advantages and disadvantages of continuous fermentation. Type of continuous fermentation: chemostat and turbidostat. Balance of cell material. Dilution rate (D). Extinction of culture by dilution: wash-out. Balance of nutrient limiting material. Productivity. Enrichment. Contamination.
PART III. BIOREACTORS
11. Bioreactor design. Concept of bioreactor. Type of bioreactors. Working scales. Elements of a bioreactor. Requirements of industrial bioreactors. Auxiliary facilities.
12. Operation of a bioreactor. Aseptic operations. Aseptic inoculation and sampling. Seals and valves. Measurement and control of fermentation conditions: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration (DO), foaming, consumption and formation of gases and products. Respiratory quotion (RQ). Computer control of the bioreactor. Study of the typical fermentation profile.
13. Sterilization of the bioreactor and culture media. General considerations. Sterilization of the culture medium. Methods of sterilization. Heat sterilization. Theory of heat sterilization. Calculation of the duration of media sterilization. Continuous sterilization. Sterilization by filtration. Air sterilization.
14. Aeration of the bioreactor. General considerations. Transfer of gas-liquid matter. Specific rate of oxygen uptake. Critical oxygen concentration (CCRIT). Oxygen transfer rate. Considerations that affect the oxygen transfer rate. Experimental determination of kLa. Elements used in aeration: types and efficiency. Hold-up: concept and distribution in stirred bioreactors.
15. Stirring of the bioreactor. Geometry and types of agitators. Required power for stirring: power number and Reynolds number. Power required for stirred and aerated bioreactors: aeration number. Power required for stirring and aeration of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids.
PART IV. BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTS
16. Bioseparations. Processing of fermentation products. Process design and scale changes. Cost evaluation of the process according to the purity and performance requirements. Design of industrial type appliances and applications. Homogenization. Centrifugation. Filtration. Chromatography. Dehydration. Freeze-drying.
17. Production of enzymes on an industrial scale. Inactivating agents of the enzymes. Stabilization of enzyme preparations. Additives. Effect of ions. Evaluation of quality and safety of enzyme preparations.
18. Biological products of industrial interest. Products of primary and secondary metabolism. Production of ethanol, acetone-butanol, glycerol, lactic acid and glutamate.
19. Production of antibiotics. Main antibiotic types. Natural and semi-synthetic antibiotics. Mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics. Penicillin production.
20. Products of the food and beverage industry. Biochemistry of the production of alcoholic beverages and other products.
SEMINARS
Proposed topics:
1. Biosensors. Concept. Structure and operation. Types: electrochemical, redox, FET, thermometric, optical, immunosensors. Biochips. Applications in clinical, agri-food sector and environmental control.
2. Biological purification of wastewater. Aerobic and anaerobic processes. Biological oxygen demand (BOD). Wastewater treatment: treatment plant scheme. Phases of treatment. Settling and activated sludge. Composting.
3. Bioenergy. Biomass as a source of renewable resources. Ethanol production. Raw Materials. Production of methane (biogas). Anaerobic digestion. Hydrogen production.
4. Biomining and bioremediation. Metal leaching. Oil degradation and heavy metal recovery.
5. Proteins and enzymes of extremophile organisms of industrial interest. Psychrophiles. Thermophiles and hyperthermophiles. Halophiles. Acidophiles and alkalophiles. Industrial applications.
6. Biopolymers. Classification. Microbial polysaccharides. Dextrans. Polyhydroxyalkanoates. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Biodegradable plastics. Industrial applications.
7. Quality assurance and control in biotechnological products. Good laboratory practices (GLP) and good manufacturing practices (GMP). Standard operating procedures (SOP). ISO9000 standard. Quality assurance and auditing unit. Development of new pharmaceutical drugs. Phases of R & D and pre-clinical. Clinical trials in humans.
8. Release of genetically manipulated organisms into the environment. Controlled release: field tests. Environmental impact. \"Suicidal\" organisms. Genetic or molecular labeling methods. Biosecurity. Risk evaluation. Regulations. Labeling.
9. Patents in Biotechnology. Conditions of patentability. Procedure for patent filing. Patentability of genes and organisms. Examples of important patents and patent \"wars\". Economic impact. Leading companies in patent benefits.
10. Bioethics and Legislation in Biotechnology. Medical, social and economic impact of biotechnology. Biotechnology practices posing ethical-social problems. Information derived from the Human Genome project. Gene and cell therapy. Stem cells. Use of embryos for biomedical research. Transplantation of embryonic cells. Xenotransplantation. Tissue generation from stem cells. Bioethics Committees. Regulations, recommendations and legislation.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation of public presentations | 22.5 | 0.9 | CM28, CM29, SM33 |
| Tutoring | 7.5 | 0.3 | |
| Self study and autonomous activities | 48 | 1.92 | |
| Public presentation of subjects related to the subject | 15 | 0.6 | CM28, CM29, SM33 |
| Theory Classes | 30 | 1.2 | CM27, CM28, CM29, KM30, KM31, SM31, SM32, SM33 |
| Virtual forum | 4.5 | 0.18 | CM28 |
The subject of Industrial Biochemistry consists of theoretical classes, a public presentation of subjects related to the subject, and tutorials. The training activities of the subject are complemented by the delivery of work by the Virtual Campus and individual participation through virtual forums in debate and opinion on issues related to biotechnology.
For the public presentation of subjects or seminars, the class group will be divided into two subgroups (maximum 30 students per subgroup), whose lists will be made public at the beginning of the course. There will be 10-15 sessions of seminars during the course where students will present the proposed self-learning work (see contents of the seminars). Presentations, in PowerPoint format and a summary of a maximum page that includes the bibliography consulted, will have to be sent to the teacher a week before through the Virtual Campus. The teacher may suggest changes or modifications during that week that must be included in the presentation.
Teachers will dedicate approximately 15 minutes of a class to allow their students to answer the evaluation surveys of the teaching performance and evaluation of the subject or module.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seminars | 20% | 14.5 | 0.58 | CM28, CM29, SM33 |
| Virtual Campus | 5% | 4 | 0.16 | CM28 |
| Partial and final tests of theory | 75% | 4 | 0.16 | CM27, CM28, CM29, KM30, KM31, SM31, SM32, SM33 |
Evaluation
The assessment system consists of: 1) Partial written tests, consisting of short/medium development questions and/or a multiple choice exam; 2) Evaluation of the public presentation of subjects related to the subject (Seminars) 3) Assessment of participation in the Virtual Campus according to the number, frequency and quality of the contributions.
Resolution of theoretical questions (7.5 / 10)
The evaluation of this activity is done through two partial written tests, in which the student must demonstrate the degree of achievement of the theoretical-practical concepts of the subject.
- The partial tests, scheduled throughout the semester, evaluate the contents of each of the two parts in which the course is divided and each has a weight of 37.5% in the overall grade. These tests may eliminate material from the final exam as long as a grade equal to or higher than 3.5 has been obtained. Likewise, in the final exam it will be necessary to obtain a grade equal to or higher than 3.5 in each of the two parts in order to average the rest of the grades.
- The test or examination of recovery is carried out at the end of the semester. This test can be done by students who have not passed one or more partial tests or want to improve the corresponding qualifications. The accomplishment of this new test supposes the resignation to the first qualification.
- The activities Seminars and Virtual Campus are NOT recoverable.
- The date, time and place of the tests can be consulted with sufficient anticipation in the Virtual Campus of the subject or on the website of the Faculty.
Evaluation of seminars (2.0 / 10)
In this activity, the degree of achievement that the student has of the topics proposed by the teacher and related to the subject is evaluated. The oral presentation and discussion of the subject presented by the student will be valued. The note will be awarded the same for all the members of the group, as long as all of them have prepared and exhibited in an equivalent way. The participation (questions, interventions, debate, etc.) of the students attending the presentation of the seminars will also be valued. There will be a question about the content presented in the seminars to the final test of recovery.
- Students can present their seminar in English. This concept will be valued with 0.5 points in the final grade of the seminars.
- Participation in the seminars is mandatory, both on the day of the presentation and the attendance at the other seminars of the peers. Any lack of assistance not documented justified will be penalized on the final note of seminars.
The date, time, place of the tests can be consulted sufficiently in advance on the Virtual Campus of the subject or on the website of the Faculty.
Evaluation by the Virtual Campus (0,5 / 10)
Periods will be proposed periodically on issues related to the subject. The student will send their contributions through the file delivery tool of the Virtual Campus.
- To participate in the recovery, the students must have been previously evaluated in a series of activities whose weight equals to a minimum of two thirds of the total grade of the subject. Therefore, students will obtain the \"Non-Appraising\" qualification when the assessment activities carried out have a weighting of less than 67% in the final grade
The repeating students from the second matricula of the subject will not have to carry out the educational activities or the evaluations of those competitions surpassed with a note superior to 5, consisting of the seminars and the contributions through the Virtual Campus
B/ Single assessment
The single assessment consists of a single examination assessing the contents of the entire content of subject. The test will consist of short/medium development questions and an optionalquestion about the topics of seminars presented by the students.
- The mark obtained in this final exam will account for 75% of the final grade of the subject.
- The single assessment test will be held on the same day, time and place as the last continuous assessment test of the subject.
- The same recovery system will be applied as for continuous assessment. The single assessment can be retaken on the day set for the retake of the continuous assessment.
- The same non-assessable criterion will be applied as for continuous assessment.
To 75% of the theory grade will be added the 20% corresponding to the presentation grade of the seminar that the student will have previously presented in class during the semester and the 5% corresponding to the deliveries for the virtual campus.
It is necessary to obtain a final grade equal to or greater than 5 to pass the subject.
C/ About the irregularities in the evaluation acts (academic fraud, plagiarism or misuse of AI):
"Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity (academic misconduct, plagiarism, or improper use of AI, unless such use is expressly authorized in the course syllabus) that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade will result in that activity being graded as 0. If the course syllabus stipulates that obtaining a minimum mark in this assessment is an essential requirement to pass the course, or if multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0. Furthermore, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student who incurs any of these irregularities."
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Bickerstaff, Gordon F. (1997). Immobilization of Enzymes and Cells. (1st ed.) Imprint Humana; Humana Press. Available Online.
- Bickerstaff, Gordon F. (1997). Immobilization of enzymes and cells. Humana Press. Available on paper in the library.
- Buchholz, Klaus & Bornscheuer U. T. & Kasche, Volker. (2005). Biocatalysts and enzyme technology. Wiley-VCH. Available on paper in the library.
- Bull, Alan T [i altres]. (2010). Manual of industrial microbiology and biotechnology. (3rd ed.) ASM Press. Available on paper in the library.
- Casado, María & López Baroni, Manuel Jesús. (2018). Manual de bioética laica (I) : cuestiones clave. Universitat de Barcelona Edicions. Available on paper in the library.
- Doran, Pauline M. (2013). Bioprocess engineering principles. (2nd ed.) Elsevier.Available Online.
- Doran, Pauline M. (2025). Bioprocess engineering principles. (3rd ed.) Academic Press. Available on paper in the library.
- Doran, Pauline M. (1998). Principios de ingeniería de los bioprocesos. Acribia. Available on paper in the library.
- Faber, Kurt. (2011). Biotransformations in organic chemistry : a textbook. (6th ed.) Springer. Available online.
- Faber, Kurt. (2017). Biotransformations in organic chemistry : a textbook. (7th extended and corrected ed.) Springer. Available on paper in the library.
- Glazer, Alexander N. & Nikaido, Hiroshi. (2007). Microbial biotechnology : fundamentals of applied microbiology. (2nd ed.) Cambridge University Press. Available online.
- Glazer, Alexander N. & Nikaido, Hiroshi. (2007). Microbial biotechnology : fundamentals of applied microbiology. (2nd ed.) Cambridge University Press. Available on paper in the library.
- Katoh, Shigeo. (2009). Biochemical engineering : a textbook for engineers, chemists and biologists. Wiley-VCH. Available online.
- Katoh, Shigeo & Yoshida, Fumitake. (2015). Biochemical engineering : a textbook for engineers, chemists and biologists. (2nd, completely revised and enlarged ed.) Wiley-VCH. Available on paper in the library.
- Kristiansen, B. & Ratledge, Colin. (2006). Basic biotechnology. (3rd ed.) Cambridge University Press. Available online.
- Kristiansen, B. & Ratledge, Colin. (2006). Basic biotechnology. (3rd ed.) Cambridge University Press. Available on paper in the library.
- Ladisch, Michael R. (2001). Bioseparations engineering : principles, practice and economics. Wiley-Interscience. Available on paper in the library.
- López Santín, Josep [i altres]. (2010). Ingeniería bioquímica. Síntesis. Available Online.
- Okafor, Nduka & Okeke, Benedict C. (2018). Modern industrial microbiology and biotechnology. (2nd ed.) CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group. Available on paper in the library.
- Oort, Maarten van & Whitehurst, Robert J. (2009). Enzymes in food technology. (2nd ed.) Wiley-Blackwell. Available online.
- Oort, Maarten van & Whitehurst, Robert J. (2010). Enzymes in food technology. (2nd ed.) Wiley-Blackwell. Available on paper in the library.
- Rao, D. G. (2010). Introduction to biochemical engineering. (2ª ed.) Tata McGraw Hill Education. Available on paper in the library.
- Riet, Klaas van 't & Tramper, J. (1991). Basic bioreactor design. Marcel Dekker.Available on paper in the library.
- Shetty, Kalidas. (2007). Functional foods and biotechnology. CRC/Taylor & Francis. Available on paper in the library.
- Walker, J. M. & Rapley Ralph. (2009). Molecular biology and biotechnology. (5th ed.) Royal Society of Chemistry. Available on paper in the library.
- Wood, Brian J. B. (1998). Microbiology of fermented foods. (2nd ed.) Blackie Academic & Professional. Available on paper in the library.
Software
No specific software will be used in this course.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 33 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 331 | English | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 332 | English | first semester | morning-mixed |