Pilot Scale Fermentation | The Basics

Pilot Scale Fermentation | The Basics

Instructors: Marissa Castner

Included with Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Explain the different types of fermentation and outline the high level fermentation process from beginning to end.
Recognize common categories of equipment used in pilot scale fermentation and describe their general purpose within the process.
Evaluate key considerations and tradeoffs involved in scaling a fermentation process.

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There are 4 modules in this course

Fermentation plays a key role in turning biological ideas into scalable products—but moving from lab concepts to pilot scale and beyond introduces new systems, decisions, and constraints. This course provides an accessible introduction to pilot scale fermentation, helping learners understand how fermentation processes work and what changes as they scale.

You’ll explore major fermentation types, microbes, and the high level fermentation process from start to finish. The course also introduces core pilot scale equipment and downstream processing steps, focusing on their purpose and the tradeoffs they introduce across scale up. Designed for scientists, founders, and cross functional professionals working in or around the fermentation industry, this beginner level course requires no prior fermentation experience and emphasizes conceptual understanding and scale up considerations. This course is part of the College of ACES suite of online programs and is supported by the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab (IBRL), a pilot plant facility focused on bioprocessing technologies located at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. The IBRL was built with the needs of industry projects and customers in mind, supporting over 1,000 scale-up projects for our clients since opening in 2018. Learn more about online programs from the College of ACES: https://acesonline.illinois.edu Learn more about IBRL: https://ibrl.aces.illinois.edu

In the course orientation, we’ll get to know the course, our learning environment, and the tools we’ll use. Then, we’ll build a clear picture of what fermentation looks like at the pilot scale by exploring major fermentation types, key microbes, and core equipment. With this system‑level view in place, we’ll be ready to shift next to how fermentation actually unfolds over time.

What's included

6 videos4 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt

6 videosTotal 14 minutes

Course Overview2 minutes
Meet Your Instructor | Marissa Nyland1 minute
Meet Your Instructor | Tom McKenna1 minute
Types of Fermentation4 minutes
Microbes! 4 minutes
Module 1 Wrap-Up Picturing the Process2 minutes

4 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Course Guide10 minutes
Updating Your Profile10 minutes
Fermentation Overview5 minutes
Bioreactors: The Heart of Industrial Biotechnology 5 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 1 | Knowledge Check30 minutes
Orientation Quiz30 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Getting to Know Your Classmates10 minutes

In this module, we’ll build on our understanding of fermentation systems by examining how the fermentation process operates in practice. We’ll explore strain selection, growth stages, and how objectives shift as processes move from the lab to the pilot scale, setting up what happens once fermentation is complete.

What's included

4 videos2 readings1 assignment

4 videosTotal 21 minutes

Factors Influencing Strain Selection5 minutes
Stages of Fermentation and Scale-Up Strategies9 minutes
Scale‑Up Objectives6 minutes
Module 2 Wrap-Up | Diving into the Process2 minutes

2 readingsTotal 13 minutes

The New Engineers: Snapshots of Synthetic Biologists at Work8 minutes
Batch, Fed‑Batch, and Continuous Fermentation Processes5 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module 2 | Knowledge Check30 minutes

Now that we understand how fermentation unfolds, we’ll turn our attention to what happens next. In this module, we’ll introduce downstream processing and focus on early steps like harvesting and cell disruption that prepare products for recovery and purification.

What's included

3 videos3 readings1 assignment

3 videosTotal 14 minutes

Why is Downstream Processing Necessary?4 minutes
Harvest and Product Recovery in Downstream Processing8 minutes
Module 3 Wrap-Up | Understanding Downstream Processing1 minute

3 readingsTotal 23 minutes

Downstream Processing Overview8 minutes
How a Disc Stack Centrifuge Works5 minutes
Bead Milling for Cell Disruption10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module 3 | Knowledge Check30 minutes

In the final module, we’ll follow the product through purification and formulation while comparing key downstream tools and tradeoffs. We’ll bring everything together with an end‑to‑end view of pilot scale fermentation systems and scale‑up considerations. After completing this module, we’ll be ready to take the final assessment and earn our Coursera certificate!

What's included

4 videos5 readings2 assignments

4 videosTotal 15 minutes

Concentration and Purification9 minutes
What Is Formulation?4 minutes
Module 4 Wrap-Up | Path to Purification2 minutes
Course Summary | Interpreting the System1 minute

5 readingsTotal 45 minutes

Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF) Principles10 minutes
What Is Chromatography?5 minutes
Freeze Drying and Product Stability10 minutes
Congratulations!10 minutes
Getting Your Course Certificate10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 4 | Knowledge Check30 minutes
Final Assessment 30 minutes

Instructors

Marissa Castner

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

0 Courses0 learners

Offered by

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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