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investor and funder, the Department of Defense, which has several projects of interest that require scaling up various technologies. Our Minnesota facility will be fully capable of producing what they need at a commercial level,” Jill adds.
In addition to the fermenters, BioMADE will integrate different technologies in its pilotscale facilities, including downstream equipment designed to separate cells from the fermentation broth. After this step, the equipment will enable the concentration and further purification of the main products by removing various salts and byproducts from the fermentation process. The organization plans to begin with standard unit operations and equipment that facilitate the purification and concentration of the broth before considering the implementation of other equipment. Depending on the specific facility, BioMADE may incorporate crystallization and spray drying capabilities or collaborate with partners in the area who can provide additional unit operations. Given the complexities of starting a pilot facility, BioMADE will initially focus on the most ubiquitous and versatile pieces of equipment. As the organization starts to gain a clearer understanding of its operational needs, it can rent specialized equipment or partner with local companies that possess the necessary resources.
“ One of the initiatives we can implement at our Minnesota facility, with a view to expand it to all sites, involves investing in innovation, as some of our members are developing exciting new sensors that are very helpful for our operations. They are working on a different configuration for continuous fermentation processes as well as specialized downstream techniques that assist in removing any crystal product as it is being formed. Our members are coming up with all sorts of innovative unit operations and modifications
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