School of Biotechnology · Bioprocess & analytical
Industrial Microbiology & Fermentation Technology
Fermentation turns microorganisms into producers of enzymes, metabolites and biologics. This course teaches the practical bioprocess workflow from a culture tube to a monitored bioreactor run and product recovery.
Course overview
Industrial Microbiology & Fermentation Technology covers strain maintenance and inoculum development, media design, and batch fermentation in shake flasks and a benchtop bioreactor, with monitoring of growth, substrate, pH and dissolved oxygen.
The course then turns to downstream processing (cell separation and product recovery) and to the principles of scale-up, yield calculations and process documentation used in industry.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- Maintain production strains and develop inocula
- Design and prepare fermentation media
- Run and monitor shake-flask and bioreactor fermentations
- Recover products and calculate yields and productivity
- Explain scale-up criteria and document a process
Skills you will practise
Eligibility and prerequisites
Who can apply
- Students and graduates of B.Sc., M.Sc., B.Tech., M.Tech., B.Pharm., M.Pharm. or a PhD programme in biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, life sciences, pharmacy or allied health sciences
- Laboratory staff, research assistants and faculty who want structured bench training
- Participants must be 18 or older and follow the laboratory safety induction on day one
Prerequisites
- Microbiology Laboratory Techniques or equivalent
Best suited to
- Students of biotechnology, microbiology, chemical and biochemical engineering
- Graduates aiming at bioprocess and fermentation roles
- Researchers producing enzymes or metabolites
Module-wise syllabus
5 modules, each with a bench practical performed by every participant.
Topics
- Strain maintenance and banking
- Seed trains
- Growth kinetics
Topics
- Carbon and nitrogen sources
- Media optimisation
- Shake-flask fermentation
Topics
- Bioreactor components
- pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen control
- Sampling and monitoring
Topics
- Cell separation
- Product recovery and concentration
- Activity assays
Topics
- Yields and productivity
- Scale-up criteria
- Batch records
Practical sessions and projects
Practical assessment
Practical assessment
Report a fermentation run with kinetics, yields, recovery and a scale-up recommendation.
Assessed on technique, accuracy, safety and the laboratory record. A pass is required for the certificate.
- Strains and inocula
Revive a production yeast strain and develop an inoculum.
- Media and shake flasks
Compare media formulations in shake flasks by growth and product formation.
- Bioreactor fermentation
Run a monitored batch fermentation in a benchtop bioreactor.
- Downstream processing
Recover the product from the broth and measure activity or concentration.
- Scale-up and documentation
Calculate yields from your run and prepare a batch record and scale-up note.
Instruments, techniques and materials
Instruments and equipment
Techniques you will perform
- Inoculum development
- Shake-flask fermentation
- Batch bioreactor operation
- Growth and substrate monitoring
- Product recovery
Materials
- Food-grade and laboratory yeast and Risk Group 1 bacterial strains
- Fermentation media components
Core reading
- Stanbury PF, Whitaker A, Hall SJ. Principles of Fermentation Technology, 3rd edition. Butterworth-Heinemann, 2016.
- Doran PM. Bioprocess Engineering Principles, 2nd edition. Academic Press, 2013.
Duration, format and fees
- Next cohort
- Dates are sent with your admission offer
- Timetable
- Weekdays, 9:30 to 16:30, at our laboratory
- Payment
- Secure online payment link with your admission offer (UPI, cards, net banking). Instalments on request for fees above ₹15,000.
- Refunds
- See the refund and cancellation policy.
Instructor
The instructor for each cohort is named in your admission offer and on this page when the cohort is announced. Vedicgen instructors are selected for hands-on laboratory experience in the subject they teach, and every course is reviewed by a second subject expert.
Questions about who teaches a cohort? [email protected]
Certificate
Learners who complete the course and pass its practical assessment receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion for Industrial Microbiology & Fermentation Technology, issued by Vivofold, stating the bench hours and techniques performed. Each certificate has a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check.
Apply for Industrial Microbiology & Fermentation Technology
Apply
Send the form below. It takes about five minutes.
Review
An adviser confirms your fit and format within two working days.
Offer
You receive dates, timetable and a secure payment link.
Onboard
Safety briefing, lab address and joining instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Day one starts with a safety induction covering personal protective equipment, safe handling of reagents and biological material, spill response and waste segregation. All practicals use non-pathogenic material (Risk Group 1 organisms, established cell lines or synthetic templates) and are supervised throughout.
All reagents, kits, consumables, personal protective equipment, the lab manual and the certificate. Travel, accommodation and meals are not included. The laboratory address and joining instructions are sent with your admission letter.
Bench courses run in small groups so that every participant performs every practical personally, with an instructor-to-participant ratio that allows close supervision at the bench.
Yes. Learners who complete the course and pass its assessment receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion, issued by Vivofold. Every certificate carries a unique ID and a QR code that anyone, including an employer or admissions office, can check on the certificate verification page.
Apply with the form on this page. Live and in-person cohorts run through the year; the dates, timetable and joining details of the next cohort are sent with your admission offer and listed on this page once announced. Self-paced enrolment opens as soon as your application is accepted.
Yes. No course runs longer than four weeks, and the length is customisable: choose the standard schedule, an intensive one- to two-week schedule, weekends only, or a custom timetable. Pick your preference on the application form; colleges and teams can book their own dates.
Continue learning