INTRODUCTION TO BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CHME-4430/6430, FALL 2001

Instructor: Jonathan S. Dordick, 102 Ricketts, 276-2899, dordick@rpi.edu

Several guest lectures will be presented. These will be announced prior to the lectures. Materials to be presented by the guest lecturers will be required as if I delivered them! There will also be web-based learning with specific assignments.

Time and Place: T, F 8:30 – 10:00 a.m., Location to be announced.

Office Hours: T, F 10:00-11:00 a.m., or by appointment.

Teaching Assistant: Dae-Yun Kim, 201 Ricketts (kimd4@rpi.edu). Office hours to be announced in class.

Course Content: This is an unusual course in that it enrolls both undergraduate and graduate students. Nevertheless, the course is meant as an introduction to the principles of biochemical engineering. It is meant for a student with little or no formal training in the life sciences, and will focus on the engineering aspects of biotechnology. Such issues include enzyme technology, cell growth and product formation, transport in bioreactors, bioreactor design, media formulation and sterilization, genetic engineering, bioseparations, and bioprocess economics.

Course Materials: The textbook for the course is by Blanch, H. W. and Clark, D. S., "Biochemical Engineering".

Suggested Supplemental Reading: In addition to the extensive material that is available on the web, the following books are very useful as background material:

1. L. Stryer, "Biochemistry", 3rd Edition, W. H. Freeman & Co., New York.

2. C. K. Mathews and K. E. van Holde, "Biochemistry", Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co., Redwood City, CA.

3. B. Alberts et al., "Molecular Biology of the Cell", Garland Publishing, Inc., New York.

4. R. Y. Stainer et al., "Introduction to the Microbial World", Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

5. R. H. Abeles, P. A. Frey, and W. P. Jencks, "Biochemistry", Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Boston.

6. S. F. Aiba et al., "Biochemical Engineering", 2nd Edition, Academic Press, New York.

7. Enzyme Engineering - A series of 14 volumes.

Grading

Lecture

Number

Date

Topic

Assignments
   

Part A. Enzyme Technology

  

1

T-8/28

Introduction to Biochemical Engineering; Intro to Molecular Biology

Web Searching

2

F-8/31

Introduction to Proteins and Enzymes; Industrial Applications of Enzymes

Web Materials

3

T-9/4

Principles of Catalysis; Introduction to Enzyme Kinetics

Web Materials; pp. 1-5, 18-27

4

F-9/7

Graphical Representation of Kinetic Data; Enzyme Inhibition and Enzyme Stability

pp. 5-18; 39-45; 50-52; 77-81

5

T-9/11

Introduction to Immobilized Enzyme Technology; External Mass Transfer

pp. 103-116

6

F-9/14

Internal Mass Transfer in Immobilized Enzyme Systems

pp. 116-127; pp. 127-137

7

T-9/18

No Class

  
   

Part B. Microbial Technology

  

8

F-9/21

Basic Microbiology; Cellular Chemistry and Taxonomy; Introduction to Cellular Metabolism; Glycolysis and the Citric Acid Cycle

Web Materials

9

T-9/25

Quantitative Aspects of Cell Growth

pp. 162-171; Web Materials

10

F-9/28

Batch Culturing of Microorganisms; Fermentation Yields; Cell Growth Models; Introduction to Continuous Culture

pp. 173-181; 276-280; pp. 280-291, 360; Web Materials

11

T-10/2

Exam Number 1 (in class)

Includes Lectures 1-9

  

12

F-10/6

Continuous Culture, Cont’d.

pp. 292-297, 305-308; 322-328

13

T-10/9

No Class

  
   

Part C. Bioprocessing

  

14

F-10/12

Introduction to Bioprocessing; Media Sterilization

pp. 415-426; Web Materials

15

T-10/16

Introduction to Oxygen Transfer in Biological Reactors

p. 343; pp. 353-361; pp. 390-415; Web Materials

16

F-10/19

Oxygen Transfer in Biological Reactors, Continued

  

17

T-10/23

Introduction to Fermentor Design; Scale-Up of Bioreactors

Web Materials

18

F-10/26

Overview of Downstream Processing (Bioseparations); Centrifugation, Filtration and Ultrafiltration

pp. 453-467, 467-470, 490;

19

T-10/30

Precipitation of Proteins; Chromatography; Electrophoresis and Crystallization

pp. 491-502, 502-511; pp. 533-542; Web Materials

20

F-11/2

Exam Number 2 (in class)

Includes Lectures 9-17

  
   

Part D. Genetic and Metabolic Engineering

  

21

T-11/6

Molecular Genetics and Recombinant DNA Technology

Web Materials

22

F-11/9

Protein Engineering

Web Materials

23

T-11/13

Metabolic Engineering

Web Materials

24

F-11/16

Metabolic Engineering, Cont’d.

  

25

T-11/20

Problem Solving and Catch Up

  

26

F-11/23

No Class - Thanksgiving

  
   

Part E. Industrial Bioprocessing and Biotechnology and Society

  

27

T-11/27

Manufacture of Biological Products; Economic Analysis of Bioprocesses

pp. 609-643; pp. 643-677

28

F-11/30

Societal and Legal Issues in Biotechnology

Web Materials

29

T-12/4

Biotechnological Entrepreneurship

Web Materials

30

F-12/7

Wrap Up

  
 

Week of 12/10

Exam Number 3 (Finals Week)

Includes Lectures 18-29