Microbial fermentation pilot plant

For more than 20 years, NRC’s Microbial Fermentation Pilot Plant has provided multi-disciplinary expertise in the development, optimization and scale-up of microbial fermentation processes, as well as the recovery, purification and characterization of microbial products. We handle recombinant microorganisms as well as mutated and wild-type organisms.

The foundation of our facility is a multidisciplinary team of microbiologists, engineers, chemists and biochemists who are very attuned to the biotech industry’s needs, including strategic or financial constraints. We make special effort to design bioprocesses that can be smoothly transferred to industrial settings. The lab’s combination of services, equipment and expertise is distinctive in Canada. In addition, other NRC groups can be called upon for specialized assistance.

As an R&D pilot plant, our facility offers flexibility, versatility and a broad range of equipment to rapidly convert laboratory results into semi-industrial processes, up to the 1500L-scale (working volume of 1000L).

Our industrial experience – in addition to supporting an in-house research program – spans a wide variety of clients and collaborators, and a range of application fields including:

  • Pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals (peptides and proteins)
  • Nutraceuticals
  • Environmental applications such as cultures to degrade toxic chemicals
  • Agricultural applications such as nitrogen fixation
  • Chemical production including organic acids and polymers
  • Production of active cultures (probiotics)

The biotech industry and the research community routinely use our facility to:

  • Produce preclinical material and research reagents
  • Obtain engineering data on process performance
  • Develop emerging processes into ones of use to industry
  • Purify sizeable quantities of biotech products
  • Train personnel in a semi-industrial setting
  • Design new bioprocessing facilities and seek advice on equipment selection

Services we offer

Our pilot plant’s main services are:

  • Engineering and selection of recombinant strains (E. coli, P. pastoris, S. cerevisiae, Methylobacterium extorquens)
  • Screening activities (media, strains, microorganisms, cultivation conditions)
  • Bioprocess optimization
  • Scale-up (up to 1500L)
  • Handling of methanol-oxidizing microorganisms
  • Testing of new monitoring/control equipment
  • Extensive product purification
  • Analytical services to support bioprocessing operations
  • Technical and scientific guidance
  • General or specialized training
  • Documentation tailored to needs

Our Expertise

  • Molecular biology
  • Microbial physiology
  • Microbial fermentation technology (bioprocess development, optimization and scale-up)
  • Primary recovery and extensive product purification
  • Endotoxin removal
  • Process control and biomonitoring
  • Production of GLP-quality material

Equipment

The facility includes:

  • A molecular biology laboratory
  • A BSL-1 pilot plant with bioreactors of various sizes (3.5L to 1500L)
  • Various equipments for primary recovery, cell breakage and initial product capture
  • A small BSL-2 laboratory
  • Laboratories and equipment for product purification (small-scale and pilot-scale)
  • Analytical laboratories for process monitoring and product characterization

Contact

Eileen Raymond
Telephone: 514-496-6349
Email: Eileen.Raymond@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca