batch cultivation process from dedicated feed tanks for each tank. After cultivation, the sep-aration of microbial cells and culture fluid is carried out using a membrane separation device for cell separation and a plate-type centrifuge separator. De-pending on the situation, the separated microbial cells can sometimes be returned to the bioreactors for further use.The entire prototype room adheres to Category 1 (Geneti-cally modified microorganisms that are unlikely to be patho-genic and not included in the GILSP, which stands for Good Industrial Large-Scale Practice.) containment measures to prevent the spread of genetically modified microorganisms. After cultivation, microbial cells and culture fluids are either thermally inactivated in an inactivation tank or filtered before disposal. The floor is designed with a slope, ensuring that in case of any leakage of culture fluid or cells, they accumulate in a drainage pit and are not released outside.ciently and at low cost, so we installed a new twin-screw extruder for plastics as equipment for pre-processing bio-mass," says Furushiro.A twin-screw extruder is a machine in which two screws rotate in a cylinder to melt, mix, allowing multiple resins, ad-ditives, and masterbatches to be uniformly dispersed. The institute plans to produce sugar by feeding woody, herba-ceous, and waste biomass, pre-crushed in a mixer, into this twin-screw extruder. The extruded sugar is solid and will initially be collected on the mezzanine floor, but eventually the institute plans to drill holes in the floor and drop the sug-ar into a tank directly below.According to Furushiro, there have been examples of twin-screw extruders processing wood-based materials in the United States for some time, and similar applications are emerging in Japan. The twin-screw extruder introduced has a proven track record with starch-based materials, and the heating temperature settings and processing speed can be easily controlled over a wide range, he said. In addition, there are plans to change the paddle patterns in various ways.Mr. Furushiro also said, "In the process of obtaining sugar from biomass, it is usually heated at a high moisture content, but the twin-screw extruder allows processing at a low moisture content, which can provide a cost advantage in terms of energy.The sugar obtained here is saccharified with enzymes Centrifuge separation skid for separating cells and culture solutionInactivation tank for processing cells and culture solution after cultivationTwin-screw extruder introduced as preprocessing equipment48Twin-screw extruder has been introduced to obtain sugars from biomass[Preprocessing and Saccharification Room]Located on the mezzanine level above the culture tank, this room is used for pre-treatment to produce sugars that serve as food for the microorganisms. “Sugars are the heart of the culture. In addition to microbial production, this lab also wants to study how to produce sugar from biomass effi-
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