Application of membrane operations in some biochemical processes

In the nearest future biotechnology processes will tend towards the production of smallquantities of valuable substcmces and products which can be obtained only using biologicalmethods.Therefore, more efficient ways of microorganism cultivation and better methods of isolationand purification of products have been looked for. In that situation, the membranes and membrane processes can solve many of these problems. Much attention has been paid to the ultrafiltration process characterized by low cost and energy-consumption, which may be conductedat room temperature without any phase changes, with no need of using additional chemicalsand with the possibility of simultaneous concentration and purification of substances.The paper deals with the possibility of applying ultrafiltration to separation, concentrationand purification of fermentation products and modification of fermentation processes by meansof combination of ultrafiltration with fermenters and enzymatic reactors. Also immobilization ofenzymes and other biocatalysts onto or into membranes has been disscused.