The Fermentation Pilot Plant features more than 150 m² of specialized facilities equipped with advanced technologies for the development, scale-up and validation of bioprocesses.

Bioreactors and Culture Systems

The fermentation area enables operation at different process scales and reproduction of the conditions required for efficient transfer to pilot-scale production.

Available equipment includes:

  • Laboratory fermenters from 2 to 5 liters.
  • Parallel two- and three-bioreactor systems with centralized control, ideal for comparative studies and process optimization.
  • 50-liter pilot fermenter.
  • 250-liter pilot fermenter.

This configuration enables progressive scale-up strategies while maintaining control of the key process parameters.

Downstream Processing

The facility is equipped with specialized technologies for biomass recovery, concentration and bioproduct processing.

Available technologies include:

  • Disc-stack centrifuge with centrifugal forces up to 8,800 g.
  • Tubular centrifuge with centrifugal forces up to 15,000 g.
  • 30-inch cartridge filtration systems.
  • Pilot-scale Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF) system with up to 2.5 m² membrane area, suitable for microfiltration, ultrafiltration and diafiltration processes.
  • Mechanical cell disruption systems at laboratory and pilot scale for intracellular product recovery.

This equipment enables the development and optimization of separation, concentration, purification and downstream processing operations under conditions representative of industrial environments.

Analytical Laboratory and Process Monitoring

The facility includes analytical equipment for culture monitoring and sample characterization:

  • UV-Visible spectrophotometers.
  • Y15 biochemical analyzer.
  • Optical microscope.
  • Biological safety cabinet.
  • Incubators and laboratory ovens.
  • Supporting instrumentation for process monitoring and control.

Molecular Biology

The plant also provides molecular biology equipment for the development and characterization of microorganisms and cell cultures:

  • Electrophoresis system.
  • PCR thermocycler.
  • Auxiliary equipment for molecular analysis and culture monitoring.