Duration
24h Th, 18h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in bioengineering: chemistry and bio-industries, professional focus | 4 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
By the end of this lecture, students should be able to:
Knowledge
- Explain the fundamental principles of bioprocess engineering and its role in biotechnology and bio-based industries.
- Describe the key components of a bioprocess (upstream, bioreactor operation, downstream processing, process monitoring, and control).
- Understand microbial and cell culture kinetics, including growth models, substrate utilization, and product formation.
- Recognize the influence of engineering parameters (mixing, oxygen transfer, pH, temperature) on biological performance.
- Identify major challenges in scaling up bioprocesses from laboratory to industrial production.
- Apply material and energy balances to analyze bioprocess systems.
- Interpret growth curves and calculate key kinetic parameters (µ, Yx/s, productivity).
- Evaluate the impact of bioreactor design (stirred-tank, airlift, perfusion, etc.) on process efficiency.
- Propose strategies for monitoring and controlling critical process variables (e.g., using sensors, Process Analytical Technology).
- Integrate biological and engineering knowledge to design robust bioprocesses.
- Critically analyze case studies of industrial bioprocesses (e.g., antibiotics, enzymes, biofuels, cell therapies).
- Discuss sustainability considerations in modern bioprocess engineering (energy use, waste reduction, circular bioeconomy).
- Reflect on future trends, including digitalization, cybergenetics, and scale-down/scale-up strategies.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
- Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry courses at the Bachelor's levels 1, 2, and 3
- Courses in Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
- Lecture sessions with integrated problem-solving exercises
- Laboratory sessions on the preparation and operation of microbial cultures in bioreactors
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions )
Written work / report
Further information:
- Written examination
- Completion of the bioreactor laboratory sessions is mandatory
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
F.Delvigne@uliege.be