Synthetic advances towards the synthesis of canagliflozin, an antidiabetic drug.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that requires its emissions to be mitigated. A significant source for methane emissions is in the form of the biogas that is produced from anaerobic digestion in wastewater reclamation and landfill facilities. Biogas has a high valorization potential in the form of its bioconversion into ectoines, an active ingredient in skin care products, by halotolerant alkaliphilic methanotrophs. Cultures of Methylotuvimicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z were grown in bench scale stirred-tank reactors to determine factors to improve methane uptake and removal. Tangential flow filtration was also implemented for a bio-milking method to recover ectoine from culture media. Methane uptake and reactor productivity increased, with a temperature of 28 °C compared with 21 °C. Decreasing the methane gas bubble diameter by decreasing the sparger pore size from 1 mm to 0.5 µm significantly improved methane removal and reactor productivity by increasing mass transfer. Premixing methane and air before sparging into the reactor saw a higher removal of methane, while sparging methane and air separately created an increase in reactor productivity. Maximum methane removal efficiency was observed to be 70.56% ± 0.54 which translated to a CH4-EC of 93.82 ± 3.36 g CH4 m−3 h−1. Maximum ectoine yields was observed to be 0.579 mg ectoine L−1 h−1.

Performance evaluation of sono-assisted CO2 stripping in a bench scale recirculating absorption-stripping configuration

To enable adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) to achieve their maximum potential, next-generation manufacturing processes must be developed to make gene therapies more affordable and accessible. This study focused on the design of two different intensified AAV downstream manufacturing processes at bench and pilot scale. Novel clarification methods were studied at bench scale, including the use of BioOptimal™ MF-SL tangential flow microfilters for continuous removal of cell debris. Membrane adsorbers were used for further clarification, including DNA removal. Single pass tangential flow filtration (SPTFF) was implemented at bench scale by feeding the clarified cell lysate (CCL) into two Pellicon XL50 cassettes with 100 kDa regenerated cellulose membranes. At pilot scale, a multi-membrane staged SPTFF module was designed to concentrate 10 L of AAV CCL. Both SPTFF systems provided 12X inline volumetric concentration with AAV yield > 99% after an appropriate buffer chase. Host cell protein removal was 48% and 37% for the bench and pilot scale processes, respectively. As an initial proof-of-concept, an integrated process was developed at pilot-scale which linked clarification, SPTFF, and affinity chromatography. The integrated process offered an 81% reduction in total operating time (due to the reduced volume of load material for the affinity column after preconcentration by SPTFF), 36% improvement in affinity resin utilization (due to the higher AAV concentration in the column load), and an estimated 10% reduction in raw material costs. These improvements translated to an 8.5-fold increase in overall productivity compared to an equivalent batch process, underscoring the potential for SPTFF to intensify large-scale AAV downstream processing.

Forward osmosis (FO), particularly fertilizer-drawn forward osmosis (FDFO), offers a promising approach to tackling water scarcity challenges efficiently. This research project aims to investigate the performance of calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2) and commercial nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) as draw solutions (DS) for desalination using the FDFO process on both bench and pilot scales. The feed solution (FS) consisted of synthetic brackish water (BW) with moderate salinity and trace levels of strontium (Sr2+) and barium (Ba2+), reflecting concentrations commonly found in natural brackish groundwater. This investigation was carried out using different concentrations of Ca(NO3)2 and NPK (0.5 M, 1 M, and 2 M) on the bench-scale trials. The performance of each draw solution was evaluated by measuring water flux, water recovery, specific reverse solute flux, and ion rejection efficiency. The results showed that water flux increased with DS concentration. Surface characterization via energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed distinct elemental deposition patterns on the polyamide (PA) membrane. Greater elemental intrusion and fouling were observed in the NPK-treated membrane compared to Ca(NO3)2. The membrane demonstrated consistently high rejection rates for both Sr2+ and Ba2+ ions, with Ca(NO3)2 DS achieving up to 99% rejection. The evaluation of the pilot-scale FO system was based on using the highest-performing DS concentration as optimized from the bench-scale trials. Using 2 M Ca(NO3)2 resulted in the best performance of Pilot FO, achieving an average water flux of 2.23 ± 2.7 LMH and 115 ± 40 L of recovered water. Na+ rejection was 90%, while Sr2+ and Ba2+ rejections were 90% and 87%, respectively, with final concentrations within Egyptian agricultural reuse limits. The low specific reverse solute flux (SRSF) values (0-0.18 g/L) indicated high membrane selectivity.

As part of established biomanufacturing development,screeningand early phase bioprocess development occurs at bench scale (microplatesand shake flasks) whereby conventional offline sampling can only providelimited feedback on fermentation bioprocess parameters including strainproductivity. To address these limitations, a new sensitive and selectiveonline analytical platform consisting entirely of commercially availablecomponents with a small footprint (valves, 2DLC hardware, LC separation,and online tandem mass spectrometry) was developed for online monitoringof chip-based microbioreactors. Fermentations of microbial cell factories(Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were cultivatedin 20 μL bioreactors, requiring perfusion of cell culture mediaat low μL/min rates delivered by syringe pump modules, operatedin a multiplexed configuration with a flow-through stream selectionvalve, and monitored with a 2DLC-MS/MS system adapted for microscaleoperation. This allows uninterrupted multiplexed microperfusions tobe monitored with online measurements of metabolites from parallelfermentations without the occurrence of blockages or cross-contaminationbetween independent fermentations. Fermentations of lactic-acid-producingstrains ofS. cerevisiaewere continuouslymonitored over 5–24 h, demonstrating the suitability of theplatform for online monitoring of product quantity and key metabolitesfor fermentation biotechnology. Offering minimal consumption of biologicalmaterial and using <1.5 mL of cell culture media over 24 h perexperiment, this new platform can be used for monitoring a broad rangeof biomolecules, rapid strain selection, and screening of microenvironmentalfactors and is adaptable for targeting other key biotechnology products.

Overlooked influence of phosphate on the performance of a dual membrane process with coagulation pretreatment.

Membranes were assessed on a bench scale for their performance in methylene blue dye separation. The sawdust, along with Brazilian clay and kaolin, were mixed and compacted by uniaxial pressing and sintered at 650 °C. The membranes were characterized by several techniques, including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, porosity, mechanical strength, water uptake, and membrane hydrodynamic permeability. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of sawdust not only altered the pore morphology but also significantly improved water permeation and dye removal efficiency. The ceramic membrane had an average pore diameter of 0.346–0.622 µm and porosities ranging from 40.85 to 42.96%. The membranes were applied to the microfiltration of synthetic effluent containing methylene blue (MB) and, additionally, subjected to investigation of their adsorptive capacity. All membrane variants showed high hydrophilicity (contact angles < 60°) and achieved MB rejection efficiencies higher than 96%, demonstrating their efficiency in treating dye-contaminated effluents. Batch adsorption using ceramic membranes (M0–M3) removed 34.0–41.2% of methylene blue. Adsorption behavior fitted both Langmuir and Freundlich models, indicating mixed mono- and multilayer mechanisms. FTIR confirmed electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and possible π–π interactions in dye retention.

The growing demand for sustainable packaging materials highlights the need for bio-based alternatives to fossil-derived polymers, particularly in barrier applications where reduced environmental impact and recyclability are critical. Poly(lactic acid) is a promising candidate due to its renewable origin and biodegradability, yet its application in aqueous dispersion coatings remains underdeveloped. In this study, copolymers were synthesized from L-(+)-lactic acid, itaconic acid, and 1,4-/2,3-butanediol via polycondensation, and a solvent-free thermomechanical method was used to prepare aqueous dispersions from the produced copolymers. The main objective of this study was to identify an optimal composition for the copolymer and dispersion to achieve small and uniformly sized dispersion particles while also assessing the scalability of the process from laboratory to pilot production. The smallest dispersion particles and most uniform size distribution were achieved with a copolymer that had an Mn close to the average (10,180 g mol−1) and a low Tg (−1.4 °C). The grade and dosage of the dispersion stabilizer significantly influenced the particle size and particle size distribution. The process scale-up, including polymer production at pilot scale and dispersion preparation at bench scale, was successfully demonstrated. The water vapor barrier properties of the coated dispersions were promising (<10 g/m2 at 23 °C/50% RH), supporting the potential of aqueous PLA-based dispersions as sustainable barrier coatings.

Coupling electrokinetic soil flushing with bioremediation for the removal of chlorinated benzenes and hexachlorocyclohexane.

ABSTRACTAdeno‐associated virus (AAV) is one of the most common delivery systems used in gene therapy. Challenges in the development and manufacturing of AAVs include high cost of goods (COGs) per dose, process scalability, speed to market, and process‐related impurities such as empty capsids. This article presents a streamlined approach to developing and scaling AAV upstream production process via triple transfection from bench scale to commercial volumes exceeding 1,000 L. By leveraging high‐throughput technologies such as the AMBR®15 system, we achieved rapid upstream process development in under 2 months. These tools enabled optimization of productivity, impurity reduction, and COGs per dose. We also detail methodologies for direct scale‐up from AMBR®15 to a 2,000 L single‐use production bioreactor.

Industrial fermentation continually improves biological process control for a wide range of microorganisms used in multi-billion-dollar industries including industrial enzymes, pharmaceuticals, foods, beverages, commodity chemicals, and bioenergy. In the case of recombinant protein production, batch and fed-batch phases of fermentation are usually followed by an induction phase, where chemical or thermal induction initiates the expression of a target protein. Fed-batch processes are usually automated, whereas "out-of-the-box" distributed control systems (DCS) are often unable to define the threshold for induction and respond accordingly. The present study demonstrates the integration of optical density (OD) process analytical technology (PAT) and Lucullus®, a process information management system (PIMS), to enable end-to-end automated fermentation at bench and pilot scale. Data aggregated from tens of fermenter runs and hundreds of offline training measurements enabled the development of an accurate multivariate model to predict OD in real-time. This eliminated the requirement to generate offline correlation models for each OD probe, allowed for model transfer, and incorporated additional predictor terms such as antifoam usage. Automating the induction phase enabled end-to-end fermentation, reducing labor and operational costs while increasing yield through higher reactor utilization within the same time period.

The field of biocatalysis has blossomed exponentially over the past decades and revolutionized chemical synthesis, providing greener and sustainable methods for preparing numerous organic molecules at bench and industrial scales and in high stereoselective mode for the chiral ones. However, despite the tremendous progress, researchers still have room to contribute significantly to the field, especially in the valorization of agro-industrial waste to boost the circular (bio) economy. This review summarizes the use of lipases, the most versatile biocatalyst, in enantioselective transesterification reactions. The emphasis is on biobased materials involved in lipase-catalyzed enantioselective transesterification, such as agro-industrial waste for lipases production (isolation source and growth), the use of biobased solvents, renewable acyl donors and biobased materials for enzyme immobilization. We also discuss the perspectives of how to connect the high demand for more robust enzymes and the development of cost-effectiveness enantioselective methods, as well as the challenges to achieving a circular economy.

A deployable, continuous enzymatic hydrolysis (CEH) process can address cost and commercialization risks associated with second-generation (Gen2) biorefinery sugar/lignin/ethanol production while contributing to energy supply and security. Developments in commercial enzymatic hydrolysis formulations targeting Gen2 pretreated biomass such as deacetylated mechanically refined (DMR) biomass necessitate a reassessment of the existing hybrid simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) approach. Notably, the practice of "finishing hydrolysis" in SSF has become problematic with the introduction of oxidative enzymes, such as lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), into commercial cellulase formulations as these require specific redox conditions and cofactor. Moreover, continuous SSF has not been demonstrated at commercial scale, limiting deployment and the associated economic benefits to farmers, producers, and support industries. Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis (CEH) was demonstrated at bench scale to enable optimal saccharification performance of deacetylated mechanically refined (DMR) pretreated biomass. Diafiltration was demonstrated to retain pretreated biomass solids and enzymes for continuous reaction while removing solubilized product sugars in situ. A significant breakthrough afforded by the CEH process is its ability to achieve equivalent endpoint conversions with approximately 50% lower enzyme loading. Yields of glucose and xylose were increased ~ 15% and ~ 4%, respectively, over batch hydrolysis. Unlike SSF using yeast or Zymomonas, CEH allows precise optimization of pH, temperature, oxygen tension, LPMO mediator concentration, and removal of end-product inhibitors. Advanced CEH holds promise as a transformational, process-intensified, and cost-effective method for producing soluble clarified biomass sugars and insoluble lignin-rich streams. Enhancing saccharification performance, optimizing operating parameters, and employing membrane filtration will help overcome existing challenges and enable the efficient production of valuable biomaterials from lignocellulosic biomass.

Membrane aerated biofilm reactors (MABRs) have emerged as a promising technology for wastewater treatment, offering significant advantages over conventional activated sludge (CAS) systems. Over the past decades, membrane processes have revolutionized municipal water treatment with membrane bioreactors (MBRs) becoming a widely accepted process for municipal and then industrial wastewater (IW) treatment. By the same token, MABR technologies were initially applied to municipal wastewater; however, their application in industrial settings is still emerging. Despite the promise of MABRs due to the biofilm's tolerance to IW toxins, there is a lack of information on their industrial applications. Therefore, this paper critically reviews the feasibility and application of MABRs for IW treatment, including pharmaceutical, chemical, refinery, petrochemical, oilfield, landfill leachate and other complex industrial waters. Three existing technology vendors with full-scale experience were compared; however, additional providers with innovative designs may provide step-changes in performance. Key outcomes highlight the effectiveness of MABRs in reducing carbon, nitrogen, and xenobiotics from high-strength IWs at bench and pilot scales. Critical factors influencing MABR performance, such as biofilm thickness (BT) were correlated to organics and nitrogen removal efficiency in industrial applications. Review of advances in MABR modeling techniques showed that current models lack the needed resolution for large and dynamic industrial systems. Additionally, the review compares municipal and industrial applications of MABRs, emphasizing the unique challenges and innovations required for their adoption in IW treatment. Overall, the MABR process was found to be feasible for industrial applications with pilot and/or demonstration-scale testing being necessary to further optimize process performance.

Acetic acid and ethanol mixtures as model bio-oil aqueous phase for sorption enhanced steam reforming: Bench scale experiments and plant simulation

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a department of material &amp; service provision at JOB Pertamina – Medco E&amp;P Tomori Sulawesi. Data from each material has been entered into (SAP) such as material type, weight and material dimension size. To find out the dimensions of the incoming material, manual measurements are still carried out. Redesigning the digital bench scale by adding the function of measuring the dimensions of goods so that they can be displayed automatically via a liquid crystal display (LCD). The Kano method classifies the attributes of the digital bench scale by adding the function of measuring the dimensions of goods. From the results of the research on the redesign of the digital bench scale, 5 trials of the designed tool, there was a difference in the distance between manual and automatic measurements of around 0.2-1.5 cm which was caused by the HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor which was not precise.

The deterioration of the environmental quality of the Açude Grande waters has worsened the water availability in the city of Cajazeiras (Paraíba state, Brazil) during drought periods. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate clarification followed by filtration to treat Açude Grande water. The research is innovative in applying optimization methods to conventional techniques for treating water sources considered unsuitable for human consumption in areas with limited water resources and economic and operational constraints. Thereby, the variables of aluminum sulfate concentration and pH were optimized based on the removal of turbidity and apparent color during the clarification stage (coagulation, flocculation, and decantation) using the central composite rotational design factorial plan associated with the response surface methodology. Subsequently, the filtration stage, consisting of a sand and gravel layer, was simulated at bench scale. The results showed that a coagulant dose of 60.0 mg.L-1 and a pH of 6 achieved the best removal of turbidity (67.3%) and apparent color (78.1%), bringing the turbidity parameter within the limits of the Ministry of Health Ordinance GM/MS No. 888/2021. As for the filtration process, it showed good efficiency in removing turbidity (&gt;77.0%), apparent color (&gt;70.0%), and biochemical oxygen demand (&gt;46.0%) compared to the post-clarification sample. It is concluded that conventional treatment can potentially adjust the investigated parameters to organoleptic potability standards, with pre-oxidation being suggested to enhance the removal of organic matter.

ABSTRACTWe have been developing a solvent‐based plastic recycling technology called STRAP. The technology is based on dissolving a targeted plastic resin in a specific solvent that does not dissolve other resins. We have demonstrated STRAP in thousands of bench scale experiments for a large variety of wastes. Recently we have demonstrated the technology for PCR, using mixed plastic wastes (MPWs), from a wet Material Recovery Facility (MRF). The process includes (1) infrared (IR) characterization to determine the plastic composition for accurate selection of the solvent to be used for the extraction of the pure resins. (2) Shredding to the right size and aspect ratio required for flowable and fast dissolvable process. (3) Mixing the MPW in the first solvent to dissolve the first resin. (4) Filtration of the solution plastic blend, to separate the nondissolved plastic from the solution. (5) Further filtration of the solution to remove micron‐sized particle of pigments and fibers. (6) Cooling for precipitation. (7) Filtration of pure resins. (8) Drying of a pure resin. (9) Extrusion of the resin to pellets. (10) Generating films or other products from the pure resin. Steps 1–10 can be considered as one‐cycle that extracted the first resin. (11) A second resin can be extracted with a respective solvent from the plastic that did not dissolve in the first cycle and following steps 1–10 described above. The process also includes characterization of interim and final products. The effort includes building a pilot system at 25 kg/h throughput. We will present specific results for various PCR.

With the increasing availability of computational resources, machine learning (ML) has become a significant and rapidly growing technology. By leveraging geological uncertainties and machine learning techniques, drilling and blasting can be re-focussed from a bulk mining operation to more selective, precise and efficient extraction for ore preconcentration techniques and mine to mill optimisation in critical metal mining and/or lump-to-fine optimisation for iron ore extraction. While ML can have a notable impact on open-pit drilling and blasting, training ML models with small exploration datasets or noisy production data is challenging. To leverage the often limited and noisy data with the aim of improving the accuracy of ML models, this paper presents a generative transformer (i.e. TTS-CGAN)-assisted recurrent neural network (RNN) methodology to better understand the variability of blastability index (BI) extracted from the fusion of measurement while drilling (MWD) data (strength and fracture percentage) with rock density from assay information, on a bench scale. An implementation of the proposed method at a platinum mine and an iron ore deposit shows that mixing a small amount of augmented data with real data is beneficial for RNN performance. However, an optimal point exists as the addition of too much synthetic data may introduce additional noise.