High Pressure Production of High Value Products from Biotransformations

The concept of ‘green chemistry’ to promote chemical technologies that reduce the generation of hazardous substances is increasingly relevant within the UK chemical industry. The current trend is towards the bio-based production of chemicals and the potential of industrial biotechnology to provide the process tools to achieve this. This project will integrate all phases of bioprocess development from catalyst production, to process design, through to highly efficient small footprint manufacture of high value products with a focus on the application of high pressure systems in biotechnology to produce high value chiral intermediates. BioPress will demonstrate the flexibility of a high pressure reactor on a lab scale and on a pilot production scale. The advantages of a pressurised system are seen with the increased efficiency of gas transfer to the reaction medium. Adoption of efficient bio-processes and improved process design will be key to the future success of these sectors. This project brings together three UK SMEs that are world leaders in biocatalysis, process design and small footprint reactor technologies to deliver significantly improved economics in existing and new chemical manufacturing processes. Speciality and fine chemicals sectors are of major significance, providing ‘high-value, knowledge-intensive goods'. The consortium will focus on the introduction of high pressure biotransformations enabling the production of high quality product in a reduced time frame. The application of integrated process and reactor design will reduce the timescale and the technical risks currently experienced in adapting existing bioprocesses to new targets and in transferring laboratory or pilot scale reactions to full scale manufacturing processes. BioPress will prove the advantages of the innovative reactor design and detail the process improvements for the industry sectors.