The Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER) focuses its research on developing sustainable bioprocesses for novel bioproducts, including therapeutics, improved pathways to resource efficiency, integration of circular economy principles, and socially responsible process solutions.
The work carried out in CeBER explores the bioprocessing engineering realm of novel bioreactors, process/product development and optimisation, and scale up issues relating to production cost, yields, and productivities. We are also engaged with local industries, focused on biotechnology and bioproducts.
CeBER falls under the Department of Chemical Engineering, which is one of six departments, constituting the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (EBE). CeBER shares the infrastructure with other research centres and departmental units in Chemical Engineering as well as with research teams. Laboratories located across 2 buildings are fully equipped with several temperature-controlled bioreactors ranging from 300 mL to 70 L. The online state-of-the-art Applikon fermentation equipment set-up includes a water chiller, a steam generator, a GEA separator (centrifuge), a 70 L steel bioreactor (sterilised by steam - CIP), autoclavable glass bioreactors, and Applikon control units. Substantial analytical facilities are also available both within CeBER and the faculty at large. CeBER is well-equipped with several VIS spectrophotometers, a UV-VIS (scanning) spectrophotometer, a micro-titre plate reader, gas chromatography (GC), high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), facilities for size exclusion and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) systems as well as preparative chromatography (AKTA Avant Pure 25). Aside from conventional devices for measuring pH, redox potential (Eh), dissolved oxygen, conductivity, etc., specially-designed microprobes are also available to measure parameters in biofilms and other precision systems.
The Centre also has a dedicated biosafety level 2 (BSL2) facility with plans to upgrade select existing level 1 laboratories to BSL2. Additionally, CeBER has a dedicated molecular lab equipped with basic molecular biology instrumentation such as centrifuges, gel electrophoresis equipment (DNA and protein), and thermocyclers. The Centre also has a lab-scale TFF for the purification of small volumes of raw material. Lastly, there are a number of biosafety cabinets, fume hoods, and CO2 incubators available to further support our work. CeBER's infrastructure and instrumentation provide a solid foundation for our research, development and testing of biologics and waste remediation efforts.