Preface to the Second Edition

As originally conceived, this book is intended as a text for undergraduate and postgraduate students with little or no engineering background. It seeks to close the gap of knowledge and experience for students trained or being trained in molecular biology, biotechnology, and related disciplines who are interested in how biological discoveries are translated into commercial products and services. Applying biology for technology development is a multidisciplinary challenge requiring an appreciation of the engineering aspects of process analysis, design, and scaleup. Consistent with this overall aim, basic biology is not covered in this book, as a biology background is assumed. Moreover, although most aspects of bioprocess engineering are presented quantitatively, priority has been given to minimising the use of complex mathematics that may be beyond the comfort zone of nonengineering readers. Accordingly, the material has a descriptive focus without a heavy reliance on mathematical detail. Following publication of the first edition of Bioprocess Engineering Principles, I was delighted to find that the book was also being adopted in chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering programs that offer bioprocess engineering as a curriculum component. For students with several years of engineering training under their belts, the introductory nature and style of the earlier chapters may seem tedious and inappropriate. However, later in the book, topics such as fluid flow and mixing, heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering, and downstream processing are presented in detail as they apply to bioprocessing, thus providing an overview of this specialty stream of traditional chemical engineering. Because of its focus on underlying scientific and engineering principles rather than on specific biotechnology applications, the material presented in the first edition remains relevant today and continues to provide a sound basis for teaching bioprocess engineering. However, since the first edition was published, there have been several important advances and developments that have significantly broadened the scope and capabilities of bioprocessing. New sections on topics such as sustainable bioprocessing and metabolic engineering are included in this second edition, as these approaches are now integral to engineering design procedures and commercial cell line development. Expanded coverage of downstream processing operations to include membrane filtration, protein precipitation, crystallisation, and drying is provided. Greater and more in-depth treatment of fluid flow, turbulence, mixing, and impeller design is also available in this edition, reflecting recent advances in our understanding of mixing processes and their importance in determining the performance of cell cultures. More than 100 new illustrations and 150 additional problems

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and worked examples have been included in this updated edition. A total of over 340 problems now demonstrate how the fundamental principles described in the text are applied in areas such as biofuels, bioplastics, bioremediation, tissue engineering, site-directed mutagenesis, recombinant protein production, and drug development, as well as for traditional microbial fermentation. I acknowledge with gratitude the feedback and suggestions received from many users of the first edition of Bioprocess Engineering Principles over the last 15 years or so. Your input is very welcome and has helped shape the priorities for change and elaboration in the second edition. I would also like to thank Robert Bryson-Richardson and Paulina Mikulic for their special and much appreciated

assistance under challenging circumstances in 2011. Bioprocess engineering has an important place in the modern world. I hope that this book will make it easier for students and graduates from diverse backgrounds to appreciate the role of bioprocess engineering in our lives and to contribute to its further progress and development.
Pauline M. Doran Swinburne University of Technology Melbourne, Australia

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