The white biotech sector is a relatively new and dynamic manufacturing field that requires hygienic processing. Thorsten Vammen, director of GEA Liquid Processing in Skanderborg, Denmark, looks at what can be done at the design stage to reduce contamination issues.
Biotech applications are particularly susceptible to contamination. Some of the cells used in biotech processing are very sensitive to contamination from the outside; carrying cells from one batch to another can also be disastrous. So designing a plant in the right way to minimise the opportunity for contamination is a primary requirement that can help prevent expensive mistakes.
White biotech is the name given to that particular branch of biotechnology that is concerned with industrial processes. It uses living cells – from yeast, moulds, bacteria and plants – and enzymes to synthesise products that are easily degradable, require less energy and create less waste during their production.
The equipment used for white biotech processing includes fermenters, separators, evaporators, freeze- and spray-dryers, valves and pipework. All of this equipment is designed for efficiency, efficacy and to minimise the opportunities for contamination. When designing a complete plant, it is not the equipment itself that causes the problem; it is the way the whole system is put together and integrated that makes the difference.
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