Overview

This four-day course focuses on product purification in bioprocessing.

You'll learn about:

• different methods of process chromatography
• how to decide which is the most suitable purification operation for your process
• how chromatography is changing at industrial scale
• which new technologies will have an impact in the future

It's a beginner's level course aimed at engineers, chemists, biologists, biochemists and biotechnologists.

Course content and structure

Teaching is in small classes, with an emphasis on interactive problem solving and case studies.

Each day will cover the following topics:

Day 1

• Chromatography fundamentals
• Models and scale-up
• Role of adsorption isotherms in chromatography
• Radial flow chromatography

Day 2

• Pilot-plant studies: chromatography (packing and operation of radial flow column, automation and scale-down for chromatography screening using robotic systems, calculations of productivity and throughput for process chromatography)
• Continuous chromatography in biopharmaceutical industries
• Design and manufacturing of chromatography resins
• Affinity separation
• Process-scale separation with monolith chromatography
• The challenges of large scale chromatography

Day 3

• Process hygiene and column maintenance
• Case study: mAb purification, considerations for elution and wash-buffers
• The use of chromatography membranes for the development and scale-up of biopharmaceutical processes
• Micro scale-down technologies for high-throughput development of chromatographic separations
• Digital design of chromatographic bioseparations
• Scale-down and process economic for packed bed bioprocesses
• Nanofibres as flexible, single use alternative to traditional chromatography

Day 4

• Mixed mode chromatography: understanding interactions and developing purifications
• Design of biomimetics for affinity separations
• Case study: where and when to apply chromatography?
• Where will further improvements in chromatography come from?

Who the course is for

This course is for:

• engineers
• chemists
• biologists
• biochemists
• biotechnologists

Typically, those who attend are R&D scientists, engineers or managers who need to learn more about scale-up, scaledown and operation of chromatographic methods in a production environment.

Learning outcomes

After completing this course you should be able to:

• understand the principles of different methods of process chromatography, including packed bed, monoliths, expanded bed
• select the appropriate media for, and predict the performance of, chromatography separations upon scale-up
• assess the suitability of affinity separation as a product purification operation and understand advances in rational ligand design for difficult separations
• determine appropriate strategies for the maintenance of column and process hygiene

Costs and group bookings

The standard price for this course is £1,750.

Special prices are available for groups and SMEs. Contact mbi-training@ucl.ac.uk for more information.

Course fees include materials, lunches and refreshments. Accommodation isn't included, but details of special rates at nearby hotels will be sent with your registration pack.

Modular Training for the Bioprocess Industries (MBI)

The award-winning MBI programme is a series of UCL-accredited short courses for people working in the bioprocessing industry. It's designed and delivered in collaboration with over 70 industrial experts.

The programme provides flexible professional development training. You can choose to take standalone courses or combine them for a Certificate, Diploma or Master's qualification. It complements in-house training by providing broader perspectives for more informed decision-making.

Courses have so far been delivered to over 900 individuals from more than 300 companies, 30% of which are non-UK, demonstrating its strong international impact.

MBI plays a central role in the department's knowledge-transfer activities. This ensures that cutting-edge research is undertaken to capture the value of integrating engineering with complex and fast-moving biology, which helps keep the global industry ahead in manufacturing.

Benefits of MBI

By attending an MBI course, you'll:

• benefit from knowledge transfer and upskilling in core bioprocessing fundamentals and trends in industry
• gain a deeper understanding of process options and engineering constraints
• acquire the tools to optimise process performance and economics
• learn about the latest technical and regulatory developments
• have access to cutting edge research methodologies
• network with sector leaders and subject matter experts
• increase your flexibility, motivation, creativity and professional status

Further information

There is more information about the MBI on the Department of Biochemical Engineering's website. If you have questions about fees or how to combine courses for a specific qualification, please email mbi-training@ucl.ac.uk

Course team

Professor Daniel Bracewell - Module Leader

Daniel is Professor of Bioprocess Analysis in the Department of Biochemical Engineering at UCL.

Course information last modified: 30 Nov 2022, 16:00