DEVELOPMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY CONTROL-SYSTEMS

Advances in genetic engineering have generated great interest in biote chnology systems. Modern fermentation processes have a more scientific basis and can be optimized more quickly by utilizing instrumentation and control technology that permits increasing yield and product quali ty. The automation technology, to a large extent, can determine the de gree of success of growing microorganisms. The automation system in mo dern biotechnology facilities includes a number of leading technologie s such as sensors, indicators, data acquisition, distributed control, programmable control, communications, data base management, on-line da ta analysis techniques and application software. Modern computer syste ms have made fermentation processes easier and more accurate by perfor ming tasks such as on-line analysis, statistical process control and s upervisory control, while microprocessor-based distributed process con trollers perform direct digital control, batch and sequencing control. This paper addresses technical issues related to the development of i nstrumentation and control systems that integrate these technologies t hrough methodologies that permit the timely generation of the document ation and drawings that specify the control system for procurement, in stallation, commissioning, validation and operation.