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Lead Instructor(s)
Date(s)
Jul 21 - 25, 2025
Registration Deadline
Location
On Campus
Course Length
5 Days
Course Fee
$5,450
CEUs
2.5 CEUs
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Delve into the latest in biological and biochemical technology, with an emphasis on biological systems with industrial practices. The longest-running course in the MIT Professional Education catalog, this popular program reviews fundamentals and provides an up-to-date account of current industry knowledge. Alongside accomplished peers, you’ll acquire the tools you need to improve existing biological manufacturing systems or design new ones for downstream processes. 

THIS COURSE MAY BE TAKEN INDIVIDUALLY OR AS part of THE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN BIOTECHNOLOGY & LIFE SCIENCES.

Course Overview

Fermentation Technology is the longest-running course in the MIT Professional Education catalog. It has been offered continuously for more than 50 years. This course emphasizes the application of biological and engineering principles to problems involving microbial, mammalian, and biological/biochemical systems. The aim of the course is to review fundamentals and provide an up-to-date account of current knowledge in biological and biochemical technology. The lectures will emphasize and place perspectives on biological systems with industrial practices.

This course has made some major additions, modifications, and revisions in the course topics and course contents over the past few years. In recognition of the increasing number of attendees from non-pharmaceutical industries, the instructors are balancing the course to provide equal emphasis on mammalian and microbial technologies. More than half of the lecturers are currently working in industry or have industrial experience.

COVID-19 Updates: MIT Professional Education fully expects to resume on-campus courses during the Summer of 2022. In the event there is a change in MIT’s COVID-19 policies and a course cannot be held on-campus, we will deliver courses via live virtual format. Find the latest information here.

Certificate of Completion from MIT Professional Education

Fermentation Technology cert image
Learning Outcomes
  • Examine the application of biological and engineering principles to problems involving microbial, mammalian, and biological/biochemical systems.
  • Recognize the fundamentals of fermentation technology.
  • Describe current knowledge in biological and biochemical technology, with a focus on industrial practices.
  • Comprehend growth and metabolism, genetics and metabolic engineering in the age of genomics, the biological basis for monitoring bioprocesses including process analytical technology, and applications of the modern biological concepts in bioprocess developments.
  • Examine eukaryotic and prokaryotic protein expression relevant to industrial practice, including post-translational modifications (esp. protein glycosylation).
  • Assess power requirements in bioreactors, modeling of bioprocesses, traditional and new concepts in bioprocess monitoring, and the biological basis for industrial fermentations and cell cultures.
  • Distinguish bioreactor operations in bacteria and mammalian cell systems, oxygen transfer and shear in bioreactors, process improvement through metabolic manipulations, and scale-up of bioreactors such as bacterial, yeast, and mammalian cells.
  • Analyze the bioprocess paradigm: Scale-down, bioprocess simulation and economics, sterilization, and bioburden in biological manufacturing.
  • Examine considerations in bioprocess simulation and economics, sterilization in biological manufacturing, and clinical implications of bioprocesses.

Program Outline

  • The course will run Monday through Friday, starting at 8:30 am on the first day and at 9 am  the remaining 4 days.
  • Class ends at 5 or 5:30 pm Monday - Thursday, and at 12:30 pm on Friday.

Lectures will cover the following topics:

  • Growth and metabolism
  • Molecular biology in bioprocess developments
  • Bioprocess concepts in mammalian cell culture technology
  • Protein expression in bacterial and mammalian cells: basic concepts and methods for improvements
  • Biological basis for industrial fermentations and cell cultures
  • Power requirements in bioreactors
  • Oxygen transfer and shear in bioreactors
  • Bioreactor operations in bacterial and mammalian cell systems
  • Modeling and traditional bioprocess monitoring
  • Scale-up of bioreactors: bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells
  • Media and air sterilization
  • Bioprocess simulation and economics

Course materials will be issued on the first day of class – no advanced preparation is necessary. 

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Who Should Attend

The course is intended for engineers, biologists, chemists, microbiologists, and biochemists who are interested in the areas of biological systems in prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts. It is desirable that individuals enrolled be familiar with some of the general aspects of modern biology, genetics, biochemical engineering, and biochemistry. Some general knowledge of mathematics is also desirable for dealing with the engineering aspects of the course.

Testimonials

"I would definitely recommend this course to colleagues. In fact, I already have. I would recommend it because of its prominence in the pharmaceutical community... [T]his course is considered the very best in fermentation by word of mouth. It doesn't hurt that it is offered by the most prominent technological University in the country."
MICROBIOLOGIST, DUGWAY PROVING GROUND (DPG), U.S. ARMY
"It's a great overview of fermentation theories incorporating all aspects from research down to manufacturing functions. The presenters are all top-notch and knew how to keep their presentation interesting and engaging."
ASSOCIATE SCIENTIST, GLAXOSMITHKLINE BIOLOGICAL, NORTH AMERICA
"It really passes the fundamentals of fermentation and gets into the real world of analytical measurement, scale-up, media formulation and the theory behind applications."
PROJECT MANAGER, EPITOPIX
"I felt like the course was well organized, was a good blend of biology and engineering, and has a good balance of practical experience."
TECHNOLOGY ENGINEER, WYETH PHARMACEUTICAL
"The course covered a broad range of fermentation technology and engineering design. I believe all were able to take something away from the course and directly apply it to their daily roles, as well as learn something new about applications of fermentation technologies."
PROCESS ENGINEER II, NOVARTIS
"Instructors provided a broad range of experience both in industry and academia. Went beyond the curriculum and provided real-world examples."
SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER, FINESSE SOLUTIONS
"Got to learn a great deal about the aspects of both mammalian and microbial cells and some of the challenges involved in fermentation of both cell types. Gained new knowledge and appreciation for cell fermentation that directly applies to the work I perform each day. With my new knowledge, I will be able to take on more duties and help ease the load of our current fermentation engineers, as well as bridging the gap between the genetic engineering and strain development side of things with the aspects of scaling up fermentations from shake flasks to bio-reactors."
MICROBIOLOGY TECHNICIAN, LOGOS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. •••••••••
"Planning, maintenance, manufacturing, and process engineers could all benefit from this course. Because of the broad range of topics and coverage of new technology, a higher level unit manager (esp. engineering) could benefit."
MANUFACTURING ENGINEER, VALENT BIOSCIENCES
"This course allows me to ask better questions when I develop automation control solutions for my manufacturing science counterparts. This will also allow me to predict concerns from when products are transitioned to our site for the first time."
AUTOMATION ENGINEER, GENENTECH
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Content

The type of content you will learn in this course, whether it's a foundational understanding of the subject, the hottest trends and developments in the field, or suggested practical applications for industry.

Fundamentals: Core concepts, understandings, and tools - 35%|Latest Developments: Recent advances and future trends - 15%|Industry Applications: Linking theory and real-world - 50%
35|15|50
Delivery Methods

How the course is taught, from traditional classroom lectures and riveting discussions to group projects to engaging and interactive simulations and exercises with your peers.

Lecture: Delivery of material in a lecture format - 90%|Discussion or Groupwork: Participatory learning - 10%
90|10
Levels

What level of expertise and familiarity the material in this course assumes you have. The greater the amount of introductory material taught in the course, the less you will need to be familiar with when you attend.

Introductory: Appropriate for a general audience - 10%|Specialized: Assumes experience in practice area or field - 70%|Advanced: In-depth explorations at the graduate level - 20%
10|70|20