Industrial fermentation—a core biotechnology process that harnesses living organisms—is a growing discipline used across multiple industries. In this episode of Inside IALR, we recap IALR’s first week-long fermentation workshop, which was offered in partnership with Virginia Tech and industry experts. Joining the conversation are Scott Lowman, Ph.D., Vice President of Applied Research at IALR; Biswarup Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D., Professor with Virginia Tech’s Department of Biochemistry; and Justin Cesmat, Product Line Manager for Bioprocessing at Distek, Inc. They share insights on:
- Fundamentals of fermentation and its real-world applications
- Workshop structure, participants, and hands-on training
- Interdisciplinary skills needed for success in fermentation
- Importance of collaboration between academia and industry
- Plans for expanding future fermentation training programs
