Bioprocessing Services - Upstream, Downstream, and Analytical
FlexBIO offers a comprehensive suite of bioprocessing services, covering every stage of process development from initial inoculation through to final product packaging. Our services are available as standalone components or as part of an integrated scale-up programme, delivered by an experienced team of bioprocess engineers at our pilot-scale facility in Edinburgh.
All services are available under three engagement models: direct-use access, short-duration service contracts, and multi-stage research services agreements.
Contact us to discuss which model fits your project scope and timeline.
Upstream Bioprocessing Services
Upstream Bioprocessing - Fermentation and Cell Culture Scale-Up
Our upstream bioprocessing services cover the cultivation of microorganisms and cell lines at scales from 2L to 300L. We support a broad range of process formats and organisms, with full flexibility to adapt to your existing process or develop a new one from first principles.
Fermentation formats:
Fed-batch fermentation - Our most commonly used format for achieving high cell densities and product titres. We develop and optimise feeding strategies tailored to your organism and product, and can run fed-batch processes up to 300L with continuous centrifugation for high-OD cultures.
Batch fermentation - Straightforward, cost-effective runs for process validation, inoculum preparation, or demonstration batches. Available across all bioreactor scales under sterile conditions.
Continuous and perfusion culture - For processes requiring sustained cell culture with continuous product withdrawal. Our team has expertise in chemostat operation and perfusion system setup at pilot scale.
Organisms we work with:
Bacteria (E. coli, B. subtilis, and others) · Yeast (S. cerevisiae, P. pastoris, and others) · Filamentous fungi · Microalgae · Plant cell cultures · Mammalian cell lines (CHO, HEK293, and others)
Feedstocks:
Standard defined media · Complex nitrogen sources · Industrial substrates · Lignocellulosic biomass · Waste streams and by-products
Downstream Processing Services
Downstream Processing - From Harvest to Final Product
Effective downstream processing (DSP) is essential to realising the value of any upstream bioprocess. FlexBIO offers a complete DSP service from harvest through to final product form, helping clients develop efficient, scalable, and cost-effective recovery and purification workflows.
Harvest and cell disruption:
Batch and continuous centrifugation · High-pressure homogenisation · Bead milling · Enzymatic lysis · Whole-broth recovery options
Filtration and purification:
Microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) at pilot scale · Tangential flow filtration (TFF) · Ion exchange and size exclusion chromatography · Hydrophobic interaction chromatography · Clarification and concentration
Drying and final form:
Spray drying · Freeze drying (lyophilisation) · Packaging and labelling for distribution
Our DSP team works alongside the upstream team from day one, ensuring that harvest decisions made at inoculation stage don't create downstream headaches, a common and costly mistake in early-stage scale-up.
Analytical Services
Analytical Services - Understanding Your Bioprocess
Comprehensive process analytics underpin every successful scale-up. Without data, you're guessing. FlexBIO integrates online and offline analytical tools throughout every project, giving clients a detailed understanding of their process at pilot scale that they can carry forward into industrial production.
Online (real-time) measurements:
Optical density (OD) · Dissolved oxygen (DO) · pH · Temperature · CO₂ offgas · Biomass probes
Offline biochemistry profiling:
Metabolite analysis (glucose, lactate, acetate, etc.) · Amino acid profiling · Product titre quantification · Toxin and inhibitor monitoring · Cell viability and count
Analytical programmes are tailored to each client's needs and reporting requirements. Data is delivered in agreed formats for inclusion in technical reports, regulatory dossiers, or investor data rooms.
Discuss your project with our bioprocess engineers
Every engagement begins with a no-obligation technical consultation. Tell us about your organism, your product, your current scale, and your goals, and we'll advise on the most appropriate service package, timeline, and cost.
Email: scaleup@ibioic.com