Quantum Flowers & Foods

Why FlexBIO?

The UK biotech ecosystem needs more pilot-scale infrastructure. Most companies working at TRL 4–7 face the same problem: their laboratory process works, but moving to pilot scale requires equipment they don't own, expertise they haven't built, and capital they'd rather deploy elsewhere.

FlexBIO solves this. As part of IBioIC - the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, funded by the Scottish Funding Council - we operate as a not-for-profit infrastructure resource with a genuine mission to accelerate UK biotech commercialisation. That means competitive pricing, targeted SME discounts, and access to one of the most experienced bioprocess development teams in Scotland.

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.