Textbook definition: Bioprocessing is the cultivation and use of living cells to create biological material or processes for medical or commercial purposes.
In the simplest of terms, bioprocessing is a method of mass manufacturing cell-derived products. Bioprocessing is important because it bridges the gap between research and public access, in a consistent and cost effective manner.
A bioprocess usually follows this order:
1. A cell type is selected or genetically modified to produce a certain protein or molecule. (For example, yeast cells)
2. These cells are then put into tanks (bioreactors), which is filled with fluid containing nutrients, glucose and other components the cell requires to live and reproduce (media).
3. The cells are then usually transferred to progressively larger bioreactors to increase the amount of cells in the media, or now called a cell broth. This is called Upstream processing.
4. The product is then isolated from the cell broth via purification methods i.e. filtration (shown below). There tend to be multiple steps of purification, called Downstream processing. (Cells can also be the product – for example red blood cells)
5. The product is completely purified from all other components of the cell broth and can be modified to be stored or transported. This is called Formulation. This usually involves freeze-drying the product so that it is stable for a long period of time.
I’ll go into each step in detail in future posts, but I hope you guys can get the general idea of what bioprocessing is.
Bioprocessing is used to create many products – hormones (i.e Insulin), antibodies, vaccines, cheese, wine, detergents… the most common example is probably beer. Beer is made by growing yeast in a container with sugar but no oxygen, causing it to create a byproduct of anaerobic respiration, called ethanol, or also known as… alcohol!
With such large advances in the field of biotechnology in the past few decades, what was thought of as science fiction will become possible. Lab grown organs, limbs and meat could become accessible to everyone in the near future. For whoever reading this, you have definitely picked the right field to be in!
Bioprocessing Explained 