Holland Facility
Corporate Services—Bioprocess and Fermentation
Do you hold a promising biotechnology innovation? It may be an exciting research finding—or a technology ready for pilot-scale testing. Perhaps your technology lacks solid process controls and requires refinement, prior to pilot-scale?
At MSUBI, we offer a collaborative, custom-tailored solution to advance your technology. Our team’s disciplined derisking process vets your biobased technology to quickly weed out flawed concepts—saving you both time and money. The end result: acceleration of your technology to commercialization.
Ultimately, MSUBI’s mission serves you. As a non-profit biotech accelerator, we drive your sustainable, biobased innovation to commercial reality.
Capabilities
Bench-Scale: Bioprocess Development, Optimization, & Derisking
Facilities
Bench scale process development is performed in two separate fermentation laboratories at MSUBI’s Lansing facility. Both laboratories are equipped with multiple Bioflo fermentors—22 overall—ranging from 2L – 10L in size. The fermentors are equipped with all the required equipment for real-time monitoring and control of pH, temperature, gas flow, and agitation. In-line mass spectrometer off-gas analysis is also included for all bench-scale fermentors.
Bioprocessing and Fermentation
MSUBI has extensive experience working with a variety of organisms, including: bacteria, yeast, fungi, hyphal fungi, heterotrophic algae, and protozoans. Our team is able to grow these organisms in a variety of conditions, whether your process is aerobic, anaerobic, or microaerobic in nature. Our team is experienced in different fermentation strategies, including: batch, fed-batch, and continuous.
At MSUBI, our team works with you to accelerate your technology to commercial readiness. Our highly experienced team has a solid track-record improving bioprocesses and fermentations through many different means, including: optimizing process controls, process development, strain improvement, and media optimization. Further, our team has access to a variety of analytical equipment and expertise that is invaluable to scaling up your technology.
PILOT PLANT SCALE-UP
Facilities
MSUBI’s integrated pilot plant replaces the need for you to build your own—saving you both time and money. Here, our facility and extraordinary team serve as an extension to your team: as your very own bioprocess or chemical scale-up facility. We collaborate with you, helping to design the best plan for your innovation’s scale-up—including biomass processing, fermentation, separation, as well as purification & recovery.
Our three-level pilot facility, with a cargo elevator connecting each level, is equipped with modern equipment, instrumentation, and computer-based control systems. Our facility is plug-and-play: with a five-ton capacity ceiling crane, we can bring in necessary equipment to accelerate the scale-up process of your biobased technologies.
Also on-site, MSUBI has two 3,800L fermentors, along with a 150L and a 200L unit–as well as four 10L bench-scale “satellite” units—used to diagnose scale-up effects. All process development and pilot plant fermentors have in-line mass spectrometer off-gas analysis and a complete suite of automated process control.
APPLICATION TESTING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
MSUBI’s team has the ability to perform pre-commercial scale runs for both application testing and product development purpose using our 4,000L pilot plant as your intermediate production collaborator. Often times, our clients may not be ready to scale-up beyond 4,000L, but they still require product batches on a consistent basis. Our team can run consistent batches to create product that is sent to buyers for application testing or validation; or for venture capital firms that are interested in technologies, yet need to vet both the process and the product.
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SCALE-UP BEYOND MBI: TECH TRANSFER
Once we have successfully scaled your technology, our team is ready to assist in the transferring of your technology to your commercial partner. Adding value to our services, we will provide you with a complete data package during the transfer of your sustainable innovation.
With a technology transfer success rate of 100%, you can count on MSUBI’s understanding of the process. Transferring technologies from our 4,000L scale to a variety of commercial production facilities is what we do.
Our track record: Over the last six years alone, MBI has successfully scaled over 26 different technologies from bench-scale to pilot-scale with a remarkable 100% success rate. Some of our collaborators include: Bolt Threads, DuPont, Genomatica, Verdezyne, OPX BIO, Amyris, Novozymes, Marrone Bio Innovations, Metabolix, AgBiome (need approval for this one) and Tepha Medical Devices.
