Program Overview

Downstream Processing (BENG0007)

Key Information

• Faculty: Faculty of Engineering Sciences
• Teaching department: Biochemical Engineering
• Credit value: 15
• Restrictions: Required A-Level - Biology Knowledge of fundamental bioprocess engineering principles.

Alternative Credit Options

There are no alternative credit options available for this module.

Description

The recovery, purification, and formulation of biological products from complex sources such as fermentation or cell broths represent the major challenge to the provision of safe and effective materials, e.g., for therapeutic use. The course emphasizes a physical understanding of the unit operations important to bioprocessing, sufficient for the design of efficient steps that can be combined to produce efficient bioprocesses.

Upon completion of the course, a student should be able to:

• Learn the principles of design, selection, and operation of unit operations for the processing of biological products.
• Use realistic design equations to describe quantitatively many of the critical post-bioreactor steps including filtration, centrifugation, cell disruption, affinity chromatography, liquid-liquid extraction, and precipitation.
• Understand how and when to use scale-up and scale-down procedures, including ultra-scale-down methods.

Module Deliveries for 2026/27 Academic Year

• Intended teaching term: Term 1
• Undergraduate (FHEQ Level 5)

Teaching and Assessment

• Mode of study: In person
• Methods of assessment:
  • 80% Exam
  • 10% Coursework
  • 10% Viva or oral presentation
• Mark scheme: Numeric Marks

Other Information

• Number of students on module in previous year: 23
• Module leader: Dr. Thomas Johnson

Last Updated

This module description was last updated on 10th March 2026.