Your application

Please complete the following fields to be considered for this project.

Please fill in this required field.
Please fill in this required field.
Please fill in this required field.
Please fill in this required field.
Please fill in this required field.
How much commitment will you have to this project?
Please fill in this required field.
Are you available to dedicate 1-2 hours per week to the Build Project?
Please fill in this required field.
Your application has been 
successfully submitted!
Explore more projects
Close
There was an error submitting your form. Please try again later or contact us.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

This project is no longer accepting applications. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of new projects!

Get updates
Propose a Design of an Automated System to Control a Bioreactor
Truyen Le
Truyen Le
Get updates
Register today
Apply now

Propose a Design of an Automated System to Control a Bioreactor

Create a ladder logic program that automatically controls the operations of a bioreactor.

Register today
Apply now
Tuesdays
 at
8:00
P.M.
 ET /
5:00
P.M.
PT
8 weeks, 2-3 hours per week
Beginner
No experience required
No experience required
Some experience required
Degree and experience required

Description

In biotech industry, bioreactors are essential for producing various products like pharmaceuticals, enzymes, biochemicals, and more through biological processes such as fermentation. An automated control system optimizes and regulates critical parameters (temperature, pH, agitation, aeration, etc.), that are necessary for the growth and productivity of microorganisms within the bioreactor. In this Build Project, you'll wear the hat of Process Development Engineer and design an automated control system for a bioreactor. Under the supervision of an experienced Build Fellow, you'll learn how to create a ladder logic program to monitor and control various parameters for optimal growth conditions inside a bioreactor. All this will happen in an environment that simulates the operations of a real DSP team. 

Session timeline

  • Applications open
    May 27, 2024
  • Application deadline
    June 23, 2024
  • Project start date
    Week of July 8, 2024
    Week of
    July 8, 2024
  • Project end date
    Week of

What you will learn

  • Design a ladder logic program to control the operations of an automated bioreactor system for Lygos’ pilot plant.
  • Create a control system using ladder logic that monitors and regulates various parameters for optimal growth conditions inside a bioreactor.
  • Successfully set up simulations to demonstrate the system’s functionality and its ability to maintain optimal conditions for bioreactor operation.  
  • Complete a comprehensive report document with the ladder logic program, including annotations and explanations of control strategies.
Build Projects are 8-week experiences that operate on a rolling basis. Selected participants engage in weekly live workshops with a Build Fellow and 2-15 other students.

Project workshops

1
Introductions
2
Introduction to PLC and Ladder Logic Programming
3
Basic Instructions of Ladder Logic
4
Introduction to Bioreactors
5
Automation Applications Part 1
6
Automation Applications Part 2
7
Complete Example of a Ladder Logic Program
8
Presentations

Prerequisites

  • Fundamental grasp of chemistry: you should understand the concept of temperature, pressure, pH, volume, etc.
  • Familiarity with programming elements such as inputs, outputs, numeral systems (decimal and binary), data types (Boolean, Integer, Floating point)
  • Other prerequisites: before the project starts, you'll need to have RSLogix Micro Starter Lite, RSlinx Classic Lite, and RSEmulate 500 installed on your computer. All these programs are free but can only be used on a Window computer.

Sign up today

Get access to all of our Build projects, including this one, by creating your Build account!

Register today
Log in

Apply to

Truyen

's project today!

Get started by submitting your application.

Apply now

Stay updated!

Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when projects reopen!

Please fill in this required field.
By clicking “Subscribe” you agree to our Terms of Services and Privacy Policy.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll notify you when projects reopen. In the meantime, you can explore our resources and learn more about our Fellows.

Discover our articles
There was an error submitting your form. Please try again later or contact us.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
About the expert
Truyen Le
Visit
Truyen
's Linkedin

Hey everyone, my name is Truyen Le and I’m originally from Viet Nam. I came to the US in 2012 to pursue my bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at University of Minnesota (UofM). In 2017, I was accepted to a master's program in chemical engineering at University of California, Berkeley and the Bay Area was one of the largest technology hubs in the US, so I decided to move there after 6 years living in Minnesota. After graduating from U.C. Berkeley, I have been working as a process development engineer at Lygos to develop downstream processes for purification of specialty chemicals obtained from fermentation.