Bioprocess Engineering
Bioprocess Engineering is an interplay between chemical engineering and biotechnology and explores the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, food, and chemicals from biological materials. It develops critical technologies to face the challenges of the 21st Century, such as global health, sustainable food supply, decarbonisation, and a circular economy.
Research
Our world-class researchers work to translate discoveries of life sciences into useful industrial products.
Big questions like these drive our research:
- How can new vaccines based on mRNA be produced at large scale?
- How can manufacturing processes of biopharmaceuticals be improved to make new developments accessible for developing and low-income countries?
- How can we feed the world without depleting natural resources?
We apply a wide range of cutting-edge technologies to create production processes based on biological systems, enzymes, bacteria, cells, and biochemical materials.
Bioprocessing has pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved by multidisciplinary work led by our experts. From feeding populations, developing, and producing cures, to capturing CO2. Our successes enable people around the world to live longer and better lives.
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Services and laboratory testing
State-of-the-art laboratories
The school recently invested in state-of-art biomanufacturing laboratories including industry standard equipment for all major unit operations and analytics up to semi-commercial scale. This includes bioreactors for mammalian and microbial fermentation up to 10L, tangential flow filtration, batch and continuous chromatographic purification, and advanced analytical capabilities.
We can provide laboratory testing in the following areas:
- Lipid nanoparticles, cell uptake optimisation, microfluidics, and drug delivery systems
- Drug stability and formulation optimisation
- Microbial fermentation and cell culture
- Early and late-stage process development including in-silico process modelling and optimisation
- Continuous biomanufacturing including continuous fermentation and continuous chromatography
- Purity and stability analysis of proteins and other biological products.
Our new facilities include: BioFlu320 Bioreactors, AKTA AVANT, AKTA PCC, AKTA Flux, Agilent UHPLC, DLS, ITC, DSC, GC-MS, Freeze drier, PC2 certified laboratories, and much more.
Microbrewery
Established in 2022 as a research and teaching facility the microbrewery - based at the Waite campus - facilitates the integration and collaborative efforts between process/chemical engineers and agriculture, food and wine scientists in the barley breeding, malting, and brewed/fermented beverages space.
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Extensive undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
Our interdisciplinary studies equip students for a rewarding career in the pharmaceutical, food and chemical industries.
Undergraduate degrees
As part of our undergraduate chemical engineering degree we offer a major in pharmaceutical engineering, designed to equip students with all relevant skills to thrive in a career within the pharmaceutical industry.
Postgraduate degrees
Our Master of Biopharmaceutical Engineering includes an embedded one-year research project. While the main focus of this program is the delivery of industry relevant knowledge on how to manufacture biopharmaceuticals, it is also a pathway to taking on a subsequent PhD – for an exciting career in research.
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Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) opportunities
Be involved in engineering discovery, invention, and cutting-edge research through a higher degree by research. Satisfy your thirst of knowledge and join our Master of Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy programs.
