#azodye

[yellowmilkshakes]

azo-dye

[bio-gem-blog]

Stage 1: Microbial Fermentation

Small-scale bioreactors are often the workhorse of bioprocess development. We will be carrying out experiments to determine the optimal operating conditions at this scale in order to assess the financial implications of this process at an industrial scale. 

We are using E. coli to cultivate the enzymes necessary for the biodegradation of azo dyes (azo reductase, laccase). By combining information on the production of azo dyes in textile factories and stoichiometric relations, we will design an optimised cell growth (fermentation) stage. 

Some typical things we are thinking about at this stage can be seen in the diagram below: 

We are currently experimenting with several methods of integrating a feasible bioprocess into wastewater treatment or propose industrial end-of-pipe solutions.

UCL Department of Biochemical Engineering offers us the ability to experiment and investigate the possibilities using small scale bioreactors.