Biotechnological production of active substances
A new and very interesting field in which we are now operating is the fermentation of highly active substances. This is where we can offer our clients impressive capabilities regarding product purity and synthesis efficiency.
The fermentation of active or initial-stage substances is proving to be a very attractive economic alternative to chemical synthesis on account of the ever-growing complexity of the target molecules. In fact fermentation often proves to be the sole economically justifiable course.
Heraeus is making this technology available for the production of highly active compounds under the necessary framework conditions of the clients in the realization that there are very few service providers on the market that can offer the combined possibility of fermenting highly active substances, especially cytotoxic intermediate and end products (upstream processing), with the option of cleaning (downstream processing) and also further chemical modification.
Our biotechnological production capabilities embrace:
- Fermenter volumes of 10 ltr to 3000 ltr
- Total fermentation volume > 6000 ltr
- Handling genetically modified organisms up to Risk Class S2
- Clean-room areas Class C and D
- Unique fermentation technology using absorber resins
- Sterile work under microbiological safety work benches (clean room Class A)
- Separate development and testing laboratory up to Risk Class S2
- Long-term controlled storage of microbial cell banks at -70 °C at several locations (back-up disaster plan)
- Sluice system to avoid emissions and cross-contamination for all production facilities
- Handling highly toxic exhaust air as well as toxic fluids and solid residues
