Industrial fermentation, the large-scale use of microorganisms to create valuable products, powers a broad range of industries, from pharmaceuticals to food production. To teach the fundamentals of fermentation to entry-level professionals and students, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) hosted the VT IALR Industrial Fermentation Workshop Builds Skills on Jan. 13-17.

Co-taught by Dr. Scott Lowman (Vice President of Applied Research at IALR), Dr. Biswarup Mukhopadhyay (Professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Biochemistry) and industry experts, this five-day, hands-on workshop served participants ranging from community college students to seasoned professionals seeking new skills.

  

The result was a blend of classroom instruction, laboratory experiments and real-world insights into scaling up microbial processes.

“We’re so thrilled to host the workshop here at IALR. It’s an excellent opportunity for us to bring academic experts and industry together for a hands-on, fast-paced introduction to industrial fermentation.” – Scott Lowman, Ph.D., Vice President, Applied Research, IALR

Interdisciplinary Focus on Scale-Up

Fermentation processes draw on microbiology, chemical engineering and more—disciplines that must align for the successful development of commercial-scale products. Participants explored how small-scale lab work translates to large industrial fermenters and bioreactors.

“A student might develop a process in the lab on a Petri plate or in a small flask. When it scales up, sometimes it doesn’t work the same way. Part of this workshop is learning what precautions to take early on so the process will translate well to a larger reactor.” – Biswarup Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D., Professor, Virginia Tech Department of Biochemistry

Hands-On Learning with Cutting-Edge Equipment 

Participants spent significant time operating bench-scale bioreactors, adjusting variables like temperature and pH and collecting real time data. Industry partner Distek Inc. provided some equipment for students to practice what they learned.  

“Many training courses focus a lot on theory and lectures, which is great. You get foundational knowledge that way, but solidifying it and running the systems with microbes drives home those concepts we learned in the lecture. The ability to go back and forth between the two sets these students up for understanding how the industry works, not only from a conceptual side but when they run the small-scale bioreactors.” – Justin Cesmat, Product Line Manager, Distek

Participant Perspectives

Attendees ranged from undergraduate students aiming to break into biotech to seasoned professionals exploring new skills. They praised the workshop’s focus on real-world applications and its clarity for potential career paths.

“The workshop was wonderful. Now I have a better perspective on industry and what it takes to get from education into the field.” – Skyler Gentry, Biotechnology Student, Virginia Western Community College

“It’s been a comfortable learning experience. I think this is a great starting point for fermentation training. This is a good skill for any scientist to have.” – Udipta Bihari, Student, Virginia Tech

“This workshop has been good to teach. We have people who have never worked with fermenters and those in the field who are looking to commercialize from industry, and then students who are learning how things they’ve been doing on a small scale could be brought into their future careers as they think about how to commercialize something they’re learning in the lab.” – Zach Baer, Ph.D., Fermentation Specialist, IFF

Looking Ahead

With the successful conclusion of this inaugural workshop, IALR plans to expand this type of collaborative training offerings in fermentation and other biotech-related areas. Organizations seeking to enroll employees or learn more about future training sessions can contact the Applied Research team for details.

About the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves Virginia as a regional catalyst for economic transformation with applied research, advanced learning, manufacturing advancement, conference center services and economic development efforts. IALR’s major footprint focuses within Southern Virginia, including the counties of Patrick, Henry, Franklin, Pittsylvania, Halifax and Mecklenburg, along with the cities of Martinsville and Danville.