The Protein Precipitation and Crystallization Course was offered at BTEC in March 2022 as a 2-day course for industry participants. Learn about the course, new equipment and feedback from participants.
The first offering of the new Protein Precipitation and Crystallization course was successfully delivered at BTEC in mid-March by John van Zanten, PhD, teaching assistant professor and Hunter Brown, AIM-Bio scientist. Dr. van Zanten is shown here screening protein solution phase.
The Protein Precipitation and Crystallization Course was selected as part of the AIM-Bio program because protein precipitation and crystallization are fast becoming alternative processes to traditional product purification steps in biomanufacturing. The course content covers the fundamental mechanisms governing both protein precipitation and crystallization, methods for characterizing protein stability and aggregation, and strategies to develop appropriate processing conditions. The course offers a mix of classroom lectures and hands-on laboratory activities.
The AIM-Bio grant funded several new pieces of equipment for use in the course including the following: rheometer with microscope and camera, turbidimeter, FlowCam, a thermal stability assay system, and a plate-reader based Dynamic Light Scattering instrument. This state-of-the-art equipment was utilized in the hands-on laboratory exercises to complement the lecture content. According to the course evaluations, all participants were satisfied or extremely satisfied with the course. Future offerings of the course are planned.
Participation in this course also counts as a downstream credit for the BTEC Professional Certificate in Biomanufacturing Science. This program allows professionals to earn a certificate by completing three courses, one in each of three areas common to biomanufacturing: upstream, downstream, and analytical. Learn more about this certificate program.