Fermentation Engineer Responsibilities

Fermentation engineers are involved in developing tangible products like food and pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology processes like water treatment plant, etc., by implementing the biochemical principles on plants, animals, microorganisms, humans, and/or biological materials. They work in large scale fermentation industries using fermentation equipment for developing these vital products/processes. Fermentation engineers are also referred to as biochemical engineers.

Key Responsibilities

Fermentation engineers are responsible for cultivating cell cultures and manipulating its fermentation process for obtaining desired products and developing recycling processes from it. Fermentation process involves the use biological components throughout the process and hence it is clean and environment friendly process, though it requires one to handle the entire operation with extreme safety precautions.

Key responsibilities of a fermentation engineer comprise:

• Evaluating innovative techniques, developing methodologies, and conducting scientific experiments on biological systems for obtaining the product / process at commercial level
• Conducting experiments on various biological systems, conducting studies for determining the optimal conditions of cell growth, noting its fermentation cycle, and preparing technical data and reports on experimental findings for publishing it in scientific publication, and submitting it to regulatory authorities for patent applications
• Consulting with chemical analysts, biologists, and biomechanical scientists for evaluating the experimental findings, and updating their knowledge on scientific, industrial, or technological advances in the related field of fermentation engineering for devising a commercially viable product / process
• Evaluating the production process, checking its compatibility and configuration with respect to design and production, collaborating with biomechanical professional for ensuring the compatibility of production designs, and conducting follow-up experiments based on professional reports
• Conducting designated studies for determining the favorable condition for cell growth, protein production, and / or viral expression recovery by using biochemical procedures like chromatography, separation, or filtration equipment like centrifuge or bioreactor
• Developing statistical models of fermentation production, using statistical / modeling software for developing stimulations of biochemical production, and recovering the biochemical production by purification, or fermentation processes
• Designing the biochemical fermentation process for obtaining synthetic proteins, biosynthesized pharmaceutical drugs, or other biological substances required for therapeutic use of humans, plants, or animals, biosynthesized food production, and / or processing of biofuel, or effluent treatment
• Discussing the issues related to fermentation, filtration, or other bioproduction process to manufacturing staff, collaborating with quality control staff for preparing product specifications, safety procedures, standard operating processes, user manuals, and other validation reports accordingly
• Determining the production method scale for optimizing product yield and minimizing production costs, interacting with suppliers for obtaining exact designs and specifications of bioproduction equipment, instrumentation, and other supplementary material
• Designing biocatalytic processes for converting wild biomass into fuels and industrial chemicals by using the enzymes of bacteria, yeast, and other microorganism
• Developing product recovery procedures for purification of synthesized products from broth and slurries, recommending the biochemical process formulas, instrumentation, and equipment specifications obtained by the result of primary experimentation for further experimentation purpose
• Conducting further experimentation for studying the critical processes of fermentation engineering, modifying the control systems of biological processes, and recommending the changes in process sequences and operation protocols if required

Required Qualifications and Skills

The basic qualification needed for being eligible to obtain a better position in the field of fermentation engineering, one must obtain a bachelor's degree in biochemical science, or other related field of life sciences like microbiology, plant biotechnology, animal biotechnology, chemistry, etc. Engineering graduates with specialization in biological or chemical field are also eligible to for this profile.

Role of an energy engineer is quite function specific, and thus for being successful in this field, one requires to have an up-to-date technical knowledge on the latest discoveries and inventions, industrial development trends, and technical processes involved in fermentation technology, which is needed for implementing proper fermentation processes.

For being a successful fermentation engineer, one needs to possess the following skills, that aides in accomplishing their responsibilities successfully.

• Strong analytical thinking
• Good observation skills for paying attention to details
• Integrity, dependability, and persistence towards task accomplishment
• Innovation, cooperation, and initiative, and willingness to take on new responsibilities
• Leadership skills
• Ability to work independently or in teams
• Quality of self control and tolerance

Working Conditions

Fermentation engineers mainly works in the industrial plants where fermentation process is being carried out. Also, they may work in a research laboratory or in office environment as per the duties assigned to them. Fermentation engineers needs to be specific about their job responsibilities as they have to deal with hazardous chemical and equipment on regular basis.

Salary Compensation

The salary compensation of a fermentation engineer varies depending on the industry, work location, and the sense of responsibility, Average salary range of a fermentation engineer falls between $55,000 to $85,000 annually.

Fermentation engineers have lots of job prospects in future, and one can get many opportunities in various position, including the management position. So if you have the intellect, aptitude, and skills for pursuing a career in this field , it is advisable to have a thorough look at the roles and responsibilities of a fermentation engineer.