INTRICACIES OF SCALING UP EXERCISES- THE NAKED TRUTH

As important it is to do scale up exercises in fermentation technology especially for new studies involving new fermentation process or modification of existing fermentation process, the exercise itself is not simple and cannot be executed in one or two simple steps involving one or two parameter studies.
Most fermentation technologists in their first exposure of the scale up exercise would just think just having a few fermentors of different sizes or just monitoring some basic ‘rules of the thumb’ such as tip speed studies they will be able to complete the studies to reach the necessary confidence.
It is far from that, as we know it ourselves that the fermentation process is a very complex process involving various phases that affect the behavior of the microorganisms. IT IS NOT JUST A SIMPLE MATHEMATICS OR ENGINEERING CALCULATION OR EXTRAPOLATION!. It is not easy to achieve the ideal state of trying to reproduce the efficiency of the fermentation process obtainable on small scale studies to at those at larger scale involving several magnitudes in the increment of volume
If we look at the various components in the fermentation process in the scaleup the behavior of the various parameters show different results or behavior. In such a way even before scale up studies are done, detailed studies and understanding of the process of the fermentation must be deeply understood.
The trouble is that most textbooks on fermentation technology seem to present the model of scaling up as being to easy and discussing the topics in such a brief account with a sprinkle of a few formulae
Scaling up understanding are often acquired through real experience and through trial and errors. There is no ‘short cut’ about it. You need to adjust as you go on and to have inputs not only from books but research papers in the journals!
WHO EVER SAYS ITS EASY THEN????


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