BPE-30806 Marine and Animal Cell Biotechnology

Course

Credits 6.00

Teaching methodContact hours
Lectures24
Practical intensively supervised72
Self-study
Course coordinator(s)dr. ir. DE Martens (dirk.martens@wur.nl)
Lecturer(s)dr. ir. DE Martens
dr. ing. R Bosma
ing. EJ van den End
dr. ir. MGJ Janssen
ing. WAC Evers
dr. M Streefland
Examiner(s)dr. ir. DE Martens
dr. ir. MGJ Janssen

Language of instruction:

English

Contents:

There is an increasing demand for new medicines and high-value food ingredients. Usually these are complex compounds and proteins that cannot be made in classical production systems like E-coli, yeast and fungi. Mammalian and insect cells are especially used for the production of complex proteins like monoclonal antibodies (against cancer, rheuma), blood coagulation factors, specific hormones (FSH) and virus particles for vaccines (polio, foot and mouth disease) and as bio-insectcide (baculoviruses). In addition, animal cells are used for the in-vitro engineering of tissues like liver, skin, bone and cartilage.
The sea is an abundant source of interesting new products that can contribute to human health and wellbeing. Marine biotechnology is involved in translating new marine discoveries towards processes that can produce on a practical scale. Thus marine organisms can be used for the production of new medicines (anti-cancer compounds from sponges), high value food ingredients (carotenoids from algae) or for renewable energy (biological hydrogen from marine bacteria) The cells and micro-organisms used impose specific demands on the bioreactors and culture processes. Animal cells and sponge cells originate from a multicellular organism, while for algae light is a very important subtrate. Both facts have major consequences for the design and scale-up of bioreactors. This course aims to give insight into the consequences of these specific biological features on the design and scale-up of production processes.

Learning outcomes:

After this course students are expected to be able to:
- summarize the characteristic features and bottlenecks of designing fermentation processes for marine organisms and animal cells;
- recognize the differences and similarities of animal cell and marine-organism fermentation processes with classical microbial fermentations;
- culture animal cells and algae in lab-scale bioreactors;
- present and overview of applications of marine and animal-cell biotechnology.

Activities:

Lectures and practicals.

Examination:

Written exam.

Literature:

Distributed at the start of the course.

ProgrammePhaseSpecializationPeriod
Compulsory for: MBTBiotechnologyMScF: Marine Biotechnology3WD
Restricted Optional for: MBTBiotechnologyMScA: Cellular/Molecular Biotechnology3WD
MBTBiotechnologyMScC: Medical Biotechnology3WD
MBTBiotechnologyMScD: Process Technology3WD