Our Facilities
Our facilities are housed in two locations. Fermentation development activities and the fermentation/harvest pilot-plant occupy approximately 4,000 sq. ft. space within the Gortner Laboratory of Biochemistry (1479 Gortner Ave). Purification development and manufacturing activities occupy 1,550 sq. ft. within the Cargill building (1500 Gortner Ave).
Access to each location is restricted to BRC personnel by key card.
Airflow over critical processing activities can be supplemented via a portable HEPA unit (approximately 80 sq. ft.) as needed. Laboratory areas are serviced by both deionized and distilled water systems.
Fermentation equipment includes
- Two dual 6L DCI-Biolafitte Tryton™ fermentation systems with Neptune™ control systems
- Three 20L DCI-Biolafitte fermentors with Rhapsody digital controller systems
- One 75L New Brunswick™ fermentor with ML4100 controller and BioCommand® 32 software<
- One 300L DCI fermentor with Rhapsody digital controller system
- One 550L DCI fermentor with Rhapsody digital controller system
Fermentors are equipped with instrumentation for control of oxygen, pH, antifoam, agitation speed, airflow, vessel pressure, and feed rate. A central 32-valve off-gas mass spectrometer provides continuous monitoring capabilities for all fermentors.
Downstream processing equipment includes
- Sorval RC-5B centrifuges (2)
- Sharples AS-16 continuous flow centrifuge (5.5L bowl; 13,000 x g)
- GEA Westfalia CS8A continuous flow disc stack centrifuge with Allen-Bradley control system
- CARR Centritech Powerfuge P12 continuous flow centrifuge
- Continuous flow Gaulin homogenizer
- GE ÄKTA lab scale chromatography systems (2)
- GE BioProcess chromatography system
- GE BPG chromatography columns up to 40 cm dia
- MilliporeSigma TFF ultrafiltration units up to several sq. m. membrane area
- VirTis freeze dryer for volumes up to 2L