Louisville, Kentucky
June 20, 2010
June 20, 2010
June 23, 2010
2153-5965
6
15.664.1 - 15.664.6
10.18260/1-2--15751
https://peer.asee.org/15751
668
Michelle Baker obtained her Master's degree in Engineering from Rowan University in August, 2010. She is currently a candidate for a PhD from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.
Brian Lefebvre was an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Rowan University from September 2004 through December 2008. His teaching interests include the development of hands-on learning tools in biochemical engineering and bioseparations. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the DELOS division of ASEE (2007) and the Outstanding Chemical Engineering Teacher Award at Rowan University (2007, 2009). He is currently a Senior Research Engineer at DuPont, conducting research on cellulosic ethanol fermentation.
Stephanie Farrell is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Rowan University. Her educational interests include the incorporation of experiential learning throughout the ChE curriculum and the development of academe-industry-government collaboration. She is the recipient of the National Outstanding Teaching Award (2004) and the Robert G. Quinn Award (2006), and she currently serves on the ASEE Board of Directors as Zone I Chair.
Illustrating Bioseparations with the Production, Purification and Separation of Colorful Proteins
Abstract
The field of chemical engineering is undergoing a rapid change. Advances in biology are prompting new discoveries in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical technology, and chemical industries. Developing commercial-scale processes based on these advances requires that new chemical engineers clearly understand the biochemical principles behind the technology, in addition to developing a firm grasp of chemical engineering principles.1 To ensure that chemical engineering students are prepared to contribute to these expanding industries, this project will incorporate hands-on and visually appealing experiments using colorful proteins to teach biochemical engineering and bioseparation principles.
The project consists of seven modules that introduce students to multidisciplinary engineering principles through the production and purification of colorful proteins. The project adapts experiments from the biochemistry and molecular biology education literature by expanding the scope from one colorful protein to many. Four colorful proteins with different physical properties will be mixed and separated using a variety of chromatography, ultrafiltration, and liquid-liquid (reverse micellar) separations, which will illustrate the basis of bioprocess design. To maximize student interest and learning, this material will be implemented in a hands-on and visually appealing format exemplifying the “hands-on / minds-on” approach to engineering education. The engineering goals of this project are:
≠ to explore bioseparation techniques ≠ to expose students to bioprocess design principles ≠ to study the performance of bioseparation processes using engineering principles ≠ to evaluate factors influencing the performance of bioseparation processes
To date, work has focused on chromatographic separation techniques. Learning modules on alternatives to chromatography will be presented.
Introduction
Advances in biology are prompting new discoveries in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical technology, and chemical industries. Developing commercial-scale processes based on these advances requires that new chemical engineers clearly understand the biochemical principles behind the technology, in addition to developing a firm grasp of chemical engineering principles.1 To successfully deliver this knowledge to students, engineering educators require additional resources to illustrate relevant biological concepts throughout the curriculum.
This paper outlines the development of educational materials in protein production and several bioseparation techniques (chromatography, ultrafiltration, liquid-liquid extraction). In a typical bioprocess, the majority of the costs are associated with isolating and purifying the desired biological compound.2 In many of the later stages of purification, over 50% use some type of
Baker, M., & Lefebvre, B., & Farrell, S. (2010, June), Illustrating Bioseparations With The Production, Purification And Separation Of Colorful Proteins Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--15751
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