Determination and validation of design space for mesenchymal stem cell cultivation processes using prediction intervals.

In regenerative medicine, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) constitute a promising therapeutic route for many diseases. The current quality-by-design guidelines do not clearly define a framework for MSC production. Here, we suggest and experimentally validate a model-based method to determine design spaces (DSs) for MSC cultivation.

Digital models in biotechnology: Towards multi-scale integration and implementation.

Industrial biotechnology encompasses a large area of multi-scale and multi-disciplinary research activities. With the recent megatrend of digitalization sweeping across all industries, there is an increased focus in the biotechnology industry on developing, integrating and applying digital models to improve all aspects of industrial biotechnology. Given the rapid development of this field, we systematically classify the state-of-art modelling concepts applied at different scales in industrial biotechnology and critically discuss their current usage, advantages and limitations.

Soft-sensors application for automated feeding control in high-throughput mammalian cell cultures.

The ever-increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals has created the need for improving the overall productivity of culture processes. One such operational concept that is considered is fed-batch operations as opposed to batch operations. However, optimal fed-batch operations require complete knowledge of the cell culture to optimize the culture conditions and the nutrients feeding.

Mechanisms, status, and challenges of thermal hydrolysis and advanced thermal hydrolysis processes in sewage sludge treatment.

Sewage sludge management has garnered interest in both academia and industry due to the challenges of overpopulation and its potential as a bioenergy source. Thermal hydrolysis is a promising technology for sludge pre-treatment prior to anaerobic digestion to enhance biogas production. However, the technology is facing two main problems; the dark colour of sludge can affect UV disinfection and the formation of methanogenesis inhibitors such as free ammonia and refractory compounds have a significant impact on methane production in anaerobic digestion processes.

Challenges in biodegradation of non-degradable thermoplastic waste: From environmental impact to operational readiness.

Non-degradable plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are among the most generated plastic wastes in municipal and industrial waste streams. The mismanagement of abandoned plastics and toxic plastic additives have threatened marine and land fauna as well as human beings for several decades. The available thermal processes can degrade plastic at pilot- and commercial-scale.

Transforming data to information: A parallel hybrid model for real-time state estimation in lignocellulosic ethanol fermentation.

Operating lignocellulosic fermentation processes to produce fuels and chemicals is challenging due to the inherent complexity and variability of the fermentation media. Real-time monitoring is necessary to compensate for these challenges, but the traditional process monitoring methods fail to deliver actionable information that can be used to implement advanced control strategies. In this study, a hybrid-modeling approach is presented to monitor cellulose-to-ethanol (EtOH) fermentations in real-time.

Side draw control design for a high purity multi-component distillation column.

Industrial methanol production involves a multi component feed containing methanol, water and trace levels of ethanol being refined to produce AA grade methanol at high product recovery. Due to practical constraints, the bottoms discharge of the column is primarily water with only trace of methanol impurities. As a result of these constraints, ethanol, which is a non-key middle boiling component gets "trapped" near the side draw of the column forming an ethanol bulge, which in turn results in non-linear, inverse, time and state varying behaviour of the side draw ethanol composition.

A comparison of a novel robust decentralised control strategy and MPC for industrial high purity, high recovery, multicomponent distillation.

In this work we have developed a novel, robust practical control structure to regulate an industrial methanol distillation column. This proposed control scheme is based on a override control framework and can manage a non-key trace ethanol product impurity specification while maintaining high product recovery. For comparison purposes, a MPC with a discrete process model (based on step tests) was also developed and tested.