BIOPRO-Sim: A benchmark simulation model for bio-manufacturing processes

In this work, an end to end bio-pharmaceutical production process of the API lovastatin is developed through a systematic process synthesis and design approach, and then simulated. The developed simulation is intended to be used as benchmark process model as it captures the generic process dynamics of a bio-pharmaceutical process, and as such it is well-suited to use as a test problem to evaluate different processing scenarios in continuous fermentation processes. The synthesis and design of the simulation is realised through a methodology based on two complimentary steps, that can be applied individually or in conjunction, and is adopted to synthesize the upstream and downstream processing pathway. As such, the process model can be operated either as a whole, or as an individual upstream or downstream process. The open loop response of the whole benchmark simulation is presented here.